What You Need
by Aurorajaye
Summary: Can Castle convince Kate to stay? We're kickin' it up to M, people! If you don't like it, skip chapters 6, 14 and 15.
1. Chapter 1

"Beckett—Kate, come back to bed."

Detective Kate Beckett was wandering Rick Castle's bedroom, gathering items of clothing in the dim lamplight. She was startled by his voice, and froze like a perp caught in the act. Usually, when they froze like that, the next second they took off in a full-tilt run.

"Castle! Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"I bet you didn't. Don't go, Kate. Come back to bed."

"Look, this was great, really." She was surprised to find how sincere her words were. "But I need to get home. There are some things I need to get done, and—"

"No, Kate. Please stay."

"Why does it matter?" she asked, feeling trapped and frustrated.

"Because if you go now, this was a mistake. If you stay, this is a beginning."

Kate sighed. "Look, Writer-boy, it doesn't have to be so dramatic. If I go now, maybe it's just because I don't want to do the walk of shame past your mother and daughter in the morning."

He didn't buy her claim, but decided to humor her: "Then I'll set the alarm obscenely early. We'll wake up at 5 a.m., cuddle a little while, I'll make you some coffee, and you'll be out the door before they even wake up."

The idea was simultaneously seductive and terrifying. Castle could see the fear in Kate's face. Usually, Detective Beckett expertly controlled her expressions, but right now she looked more frightened than he'd seen her, with the exception of that day on the precinct floor when she'd fought to save her mother's killer. Castle shook off the mental image of Kate's hands coated in his blood. He got out of bed and reached out to touch her cheek.

"Stay because it's what you really want to do."

Beckett finally dropped the armful of clothes, and he pulled her into his arms before kissing her tenderly.

"God, Castle, you're such a girl," she teased, trying to sound nonchalant.

"If by 'girl' you mean 'caring person in touch with his emotions,' thank you."

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "Sure, Castle. That's exactly what I meant."

They both returned to his bed and slid between the smooth sheets. Castle set the alarm clock, as promised, and turned off the lamp. Kate turned onto her side and was surprised when Rick imitated her position, pulling her closer to spoon. Even more shocking, she didn't mind. She liked the warmth of his body against hers. His arm draped over her felt like safety, not a trap. Still, she couldn't stop herself from cracking wise.

"I can't believe you begged, Castle. 'Stay. Please stay. Stay,'" she said, imitating his deeper voice.

He laughed and kissed her shoulder. "Kate, sometimes the strongest thing you can do is to ask for what you need."

His statement ran contrary to everything Kate Beckett believed—to the way she lived her life. Why, then, did it feel so true?

"Yeah, well, what I need is some sleep."

Castle laughed again. "Okay, _Detective Beckett_, it that's how you want to play it. We do want New York's Finest to be well rested."

Kate fell asleep more quickly than she had in years.

**AN- Thank you so much for reading! If you'd like more to the story, review and let me know.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN- Thanks for all the reads and reviews, lovely people! **

**Saturday Morning**

Kate woke up before the alarm went off, comfortable and warm, still nestled in Rick's arms.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap," she hissed. Rick laughed.

"Oh, honey, such sweet pillow talk."

"Um…hi. How long have you been awake?"

"Since you started whispering sweet nothings. Seriously, Kate, 'crap?' "

"If you want warm-fuzzies, Castle, find a warm-fuzzy girl."

"I don't know if I need warm-fuzzies, but I'd prefer if you actually enjoyed being here."

_I do,_ Kate thought, _That's the problem. _

*** ***

**Friday Night **

It had been a long week of work. Detective Beckett was sick of the looks she had been getting around the precinct ever since her mom's killer died. She hated pity. Oh, most people had already known about Beckett's mom, but now they had seen her all emotional about it. Beckett had worked too hard establishing her reputation and earning the respect of her coworkers to let her mother's killer snatch it away. As a result, she'd be tougher than usual all week. Her entire body ached from how tensely she'd been holding herself.

Her crew usually cajoled her to accompany them out for drinks on Friday nights, but this week, the guys took off the minute their shift ended. _Not that I blame them, _Beckett thought. Only Lanie had tried to lure her out, promising a killer girl's night in a bar full of young, impressionable men. Kate had laughed, but turned down the offer.

After Lanie left, Castle sighed. He stood up from his chair and took Beckett's hand, helping her up before she had time to think about it.

"What are you doing, Castle?"

"Helping you. Hurry up, Beckett." He helped her into her coat, which was entirely unnecessary, but she was too puzzled to question it. Next thing she knew, they were in the elevator.

"DAD-DAD-DAD! DAD-DAD-DAD!" Castle's phone blared.

"I thought you were going to get a less conspicuous ring tone for Alexis."

"Haven't gotten around to it," he replied while answering. "Hello?"

"Hi, Dad. Will you be home in time for dinner?"

"Your timing is perfect, Alexis! Okay, I'll ask her."

"Ask who what?" Alexis queried, puzzled.

Castle turned to Kate and put a hand over the phone. "Alexis is making spaghetti for dinner, and she really wants you to come. It would mean a lot to her."

Beckett turned pink, "Oh, well…sure. I mean, if it's really important to her."

"Good news, Alexis! Kate said she'd love to try your spaghetti. We'll be home soon."

"Oh, I get it," Alexis replied. "Using your child to lure women into your home? You know, it's a good thing I have the ingredients for spaghetti. I was going to order pizza."

"Oh, you're so sweet, honey! I love you, too."

"You know you owe me, right?" Alexis teased.

"Oh, I know," he replied. "Cash in wisely."

They decided to drive separately. When Rick had been home several minutes and Kate still hadn't arrived, he began to worry that she'd changed her mind and gone home. Soon, though, Beckett was ringing their buzzer, and moments later she was there with an armful of pink roses.

"For me? Beckett, you shouldn't have!"

"I didn't. They're for Alexis."

A big smile spread across his face. "You bought Alexis roses?"

"Girls love getting flowers. What?"

"No, nothing," he stammered, trying to wipe the sappy look off his face. "You're absolutely right. Honey," he called out, "Detective Beckett's here and she brought you something."

The precocious redhead bounded out of the kitchen. Her big, blue eyes were excited and puzzled. "For me?" Then she spotted the flowers. "Really? They're beautiful!" She took the bouquet in her arms and inhaled their fragrance. "Grams!" she called.

Martha appeared at the top of the stairs. "What, darling?"

"Look what Detective Beckett brought for me!"

"Well, aren't they lovely—the flowers and the detective."

Beckett flushed, and Castle was lucky enough to catch it. He loved seeing the steely woman blush.

"Please, call me Kate."

"Does that go for me, too?" Castle asked.

She wanted to say no, but realized she would only be doing it to bait him. She decided to take a stab at maturity—something new for her interactions with the mischievous writer. Maybe it would stick. "Only when we're not at work."

"Great! And you can call me Rick."

"Thanks, Castle," she replied. Rick shook his head as though frustrated, but laughed.

_Okay, so much for maturity, _Kate thought. _I only lasted three seconds. Hell, Castle's being more mature than I am._

"Alexis, darling, let's go find a vase for your roses," Martha crooned before smoothly ushering her granddaughter out of the room.

"Let me take your coat, Kate. Have a seat. Would you like anything? A glass of wine?" Castle asked. As he was hanging up her coat, she sank onto his couch.

"A glass of wine sounds great, actually." He left to open a bottle and fill glasses with red wine just as Alexis returned from the kitchen.

"Everything will be ready in just a few minutes. I love your shoes!"

Kate was wearing a suit—a white oxford, a fitted gray blazer and pants—but below the hems were gorgeous black pumps with a sturdy, yet elegantly-curved, heel.

"I can't believe you chase bad guys in those!"

Kate laughed. "They're kind of my vice," she admitted. "I love high heels. The ones I wear to work are pretty comfortable, and not bad to run in. I can't work in stilettos, though. They might snap or get caught in a manhole cover or subway grate. These aren't bad at all."

Martha had entered during their conversation. "Yes, dear, but it's heaven to take off even the best pumps at the end of a long day."

Kate laughed, because the woman was right. Kate wished she could shuck hers right then. Martha Rodgers suspected that was the case, but that the guarded detective was not the type to just make herself at home.

"In fact," Martha added, "Why don't we all do just that?" Castle's mother toed off two sexy, lime-green, pointy-toed stilettos. "Come on, you know you want to."

Kate sighed, as though reluctant, and slipped her feet out of her three-inch heels. Castle returned to see the three women nestled into the couch, six bare feet propped on the coffee table. He longed to tease Kate about it, but stopped himself. He liked seeing her so relaxed, especially in his home and with the most important women in his life.

**AN- I'm trying to decide how smutty to get in the next chapter: watercolor romance or high-def sexiness? Hmm…**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN- I had planned to get straight to the bedroom, but needed more relationship development first. Sorry: no smut this chapter. (In fact, it may take one more chapter before we get there.) Thanks for all the lovely reviews, favorites and story alerts! I wish you guys were around to encourage me at my regular job. Audience response makes writing a joyful endeavor. **

Dinner had been a smashing success. Alexis's food was delicious, and Kate had a wonderful rapport with the family—joking and laughing their way through the meal. In fact, Kate's face and stomach hurt from smiling so much and laughing so hard. Kate didn't think of herself as a brooder, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this happy.

After dinner, Alexis sweet-talked Kate into staying for a movie. Martha wanted something romantic, Rick wanted something fast-paced, and Alexis hoped for an old, black-and-white classic. Kate had shrugged, too bashful to make a suggestion. The group decided on His Girl Friday, an old screwball comedy staring Carey Grant and Rosalind Russell as an editor and a reporter who flirt and spar while trying to solve a mystery and get the scoop.

Kate and Rick settled into opposite ends of the couch, and Alexis rolled her eyes at her dad's cowardice, but sat down between them. Martha curled up in an armchair. Despite the movie's fast pace, Alexis nodded off halfway through the film, and her head dropped onto Kate's shoulder. When Rick noticed, he reached over to shift his daughter.

"It's okay, Castle. Actually, could you grab a pillow?"

Castle snagged a throw pillow from an unoccupied armchair and handed it to Kate. She put the cushion on her lap and eased the girl's head from her shoulder down to the pillow. Rick sat and put Alexis' feet on his lap. The redhead stirred.

"I'm not asleep," she muttered, her sleepy voice in direct contrast to her claim.

"Of course not," Kate gently replied, stroking the girl's hair. "We just thought you might like to stretch out.

"Mm-kay," the girl replied before dozing off again.

When Alexis' head had fallen against the detective's shoulder, Kate had been sucked into fuzzy memories of all the times she had dozed off watching movies with her mom. Her mom would put a pillow in her lap, and Kate would lie down with her head on the pillow. As they watched the movie, her mother would play with Kate's hair. She missed her mom—and the million tiny rituals mothers and daughters share— so much her chest literally ached sometimes. She thought Alexis might miss having a mom around, too, so before her protective wall could shut out the impulse, Kate had cradled the teen, and now combed her fingers through long, scarlet locks. Suddenly, she could feel Rick's stare.

"What?"

He grinned at her defensive tone. He itched to tease her about this mushy, feminine behavior, but he stopped himself. If he did, Kate would feel self-conscious and might hold back displays of affection toward Alexis in the future. The chance to rile Beckett wasn't worth the risk. Martha was a loving, doting grandmother, but she was dramatic and frenetic. Alexis's mother was exuberant and loving, too, but often forced Alexis to act as parent. Since Kate Beckett had been spending time with his daughter, Rick had seen the way Alexis responded to the woman's presence. Kate often exuded quiet, calm strength—a nice counterbalance to the fluffy, boisterous family. The two women were a good match.

"I was just thinking I'm glad you stayed. Alexis really likes having you around. We all do."

"Oh, well I like her too. She's a good kid."

"I know. It's a miracle."

Kate laughed, but shook her head. "You're a good dad, Castle…er, Rick."

"I try, but sometimes I feel like she's raising me."

"Ha! That's probably true, to a point. But she's such a serious girl. It's good that you help her lighten up and enjoy being a kid. That innocence doesn't last forever. God, kids in this city throw it away so fast." Kate had seen all the horror the world offered to teens—parents' nightmares come to life.

"Kids everywhere," Castle amended. "Oh, I love this part," he exclaimed as a fugitive hid in a roll-top desk. Rick hoped the movie would draw them out of this melancholy mood.

Martha watched this exchange silently, and hid her smile of satisfaction by sipping from her wine glass. Though Martha generally preferred to be the center of attention, she knew that a great actress never steals focus from where the play needs it to be. As such, she let herself fade into the background until the movie ended.

"Well," she said, standing, "Alexis and I need to go catch our beauty sleep. " She gently nudged her granddaughter. "Come along, darling. Bedtime."

"Okay. Thanks for hanging out with us, Kate," the girl said with a drowsy smile, and impulsively hugged the detective. Kate was stiff for a second, then squeezed the girl in return. Kate couldn't remember the last time she'd been hugged.

"Good night, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. That leaves you plenty of leeway," Martha teased.

As Castle's mother and daughter departed, Kate was appalled to feel a hot lump forming in her throat and tears welling up in her eyes. She tried all of her usual methods for holding back tears (a police detective couldn't go around bawling, after all). This time, none worked, and a tear fell. "Damn," she muttered in frustration, "Damn, damn, damn."

**-AN: Most comments requested that the upcoming bedroom scene be explicit, not implicit. As such, are you readers cool with me changing the rating to M? Let me know.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- You reviewers are amazing! Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, or favorited me or my story. I am honored.**

Deep breaths, biting her tongue, picturing Castle tripping and falling on his smug face: today none of her methods for staunching tears were working. They'd never failed her before. This pissed Kate off. Kate hated crying, but crying in front of people was even worse.

Rick looked over at the detective, and was shocked to see tears on her face.

"Kate, what's wrong?"

"I'm crying, that's what's wrong!"

She sounded so appalled that Rick couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I can see that. I meant why are you crying?"

"I don't know!" she growled through her tears, "But it's pissing me off!"

Rick couldn't decide whether to be alarmed or amused. He'd seen people cry because they were very angry, but he didn't think he'd ever seen someone very angry because they were crying. He knew laughing would be a bad idea, but he wasn't sure whether traditional methods of comfort would be much better. He decided to risk it anyway and pulled Kate into a hug. The hug broke through Kate's last defenses and she began to sob in earnest.

"What is it with you people and these damn hugs?" she managed to rant between sobs. The crying was getting louder, and Rick didn't want his mother or Alexis to come investigate. Kate was angry enough that he was seeing her cry. If the women saw her, too, it might be disastrous. Kate might get so embarrassed that she would stop coming by altogether. Hell, he was already afraid she might do so after they had somehow triggered this crying jag.

"Look, don't worry about it. You've been under a lot of stress because of your mom's case, and you needed to get it out. I came home that night and cried like a baby. I'm guessing you didn't, so you're doing it now." Then she sobbed harder. Shit. "Come on." He led her down the hall, through his bedroom to his bathroom. He thought he remembered her saying she liked to relax in the tub. Or was that some speculation he'd dreamed up when working on Heat Wave? He decided to take a chance, turned on the water in the bathtub and handed Kate a tissue from the box by the sink. They sat together on the ledge of the tub, his arm around her, and her head on his shoulder. He was surprised she was allowing such a thing, so he just thanked his lucky stars and prayed not to spook her.

"Why don't you soak for a little while?" he suggested, once her sobs had eased and the water had risen. A bath sounded wonderful to Kate, so she nodded. He handed her big, fluffy towels and gave her permission to use his robe. Then he left, closing the door behind him, and tidied his bedroom, tossing his dirty clothes in the laundry basket and making the bed. He hadn't expected anyone to see it tonight. In fact, a woman rarely saw his bedroom unless he was engaged or married to her, or his daughter wasn't home.

And now Detective Kate Beckett was in his bathroom. Naked. He tried, unsuccessfully, to get his mind off that image, but it was hard when he could occasionally hear faint splashes coming from the other side of the door. Rick decided he might as well put his dirty mind to good use and went off to write a sexy scene about Nikki Heat in a bubble bath.

He was surprised when Kate showed up in his office doorway once more wearing the suit. The bath had helped Kate pull herself together. The soft white robe had been tempting, but Kate had decided she needed the security of her work clothes, not vulnerable naked skin under a robe that smelled like Castle.

Her hair was damp, and this was the first time he'd seen her without makeup. Her eyes looked softer. He imagined that was why she did her makeup that way.

"Castle, I'm going to go."

_No,_ he thought, _stay._

"Are you sure? It's late. We have plenty of guest rooms." He followed into the living room.

"No, I should really…oh, my necklace!" She raced back to his bathroom, and he followed her. She fumbled trying to put the necklace back on and grumbled with frustration. She did this every morning. Why, this time, was she proving so uncoordinated? Crying earlier was probably to blame for her shaky hands. Damn crying.

Rick gently took the necklace from Kate's hands, draped it around her neck and deftly fastened the clasp. Then, he let his thumb graze the skin at the nape of her neck. She shivered and moaned softly, and her response was irresistible. Rick turned Kate to face him, dove his fingers into her damp auburn hair, and kissed her.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN- Oh, you didn't like it that I stopped at the kiss? Well, I've decided that the early stages of foreplay get their own chapter. Here it is! You've been warned: the true smut will not commence until Chapter 6.**

_What the fu…mmm,_ Kate thought as Castle kissed her. She'd had two-and-a-half seconds of shock before her brain shut off and her body took over. She slowly ran her hands up Rick Castle's body to his face and deepened the kiss.

Rick was surprised—not that Kate had responded to his kiss, but by the languid way she'd responded. He'd always suspected Kate was a wildcat in the sack, but instead of feisty aggression, she was sensually luxuriating in their make-out session. The wildcat idea had scared him less.

Rick liked a good time. Since his last divorce, he had fun with the ladies, and that was it—joyful romps between the sheets with women who didn't seem to mind if he didn't call. Now he was in his bathroom kissing his muse, the woman he'd come to think of as his partner. Hell, he'd spent the evening considering her a mother figure for his daughter. The way she was kissing him did not suggest a quick tumble, followed by life going back to normal. He wanted to just kiss her for hours, the way he hadn't done since high school. He wanted Kate—the one person more wary of commitment than Castle himself—to be his. Basically, Richard Castle was screwed…so to speak.

A little voice at the back of his head told him he should stop to protect what he had with Kate from future strife, but he realized it was already too late. He had kissed Kate Beckett. After all she had been through that night, if he rejected her now, their relationship would already be destroyed. Rick took a step back and she followed, their lips still locked. They continued walking this way, out of the bathroom and across his bedroom. Kate smirked, shoved him backwards onto the bed and pounced on him.

_There's the wildcat. I knew she was in there somewhere. _

Kate straddled Rick's waist, then returned to her former style of kissing: long, slow and deep. Unconsciously, she moaned, and her hips rocked against Castle's. His body responded instantly. Still, he just kept kissing her, some small and gentle, others deep and passionate. They licked and nibbled each other's lips. He slid his tongue along hers. Eventually, they broke apart for a second, foreheads touching, just to catch their breath.

"Jesus, Castle!" Kate exclaimed, peeking at his alarm clock. "We've been kissing for more than an hour."

"Mmm, that long, huh?" He reached up to pull her down for another kiss.

"Don't you want to do more than kiss?" she asked, breathlessly, before bending down to brush his lips with hers, her breasts grazing his chest.

"Yes," he replied between kisses, "But maybe...um, maybe we should...slow down. Go on a date or something?"

Kate laughed. "What is this, high school?" She shrugged off her suit jacket and threw it on the floor.

"Well," Rick said, "that would explain why my hormones have taken over my brain." _Also why I'm having trouble talking to you. I haven't felt this awkward with a woman since…_

"Castle," Kate said, interrupting his thoughts, "We had dinner and saw a movie. Sounds like a date to me." As she said this, she was unbuttoning her white shirt, revealing a beige bra underneath. She hadn't dressed that morning with seduction in mind, but the cut of her simple bra presented the curves of her breasts enticingly. He got a closer look at those curves when she leaned forward to unbutton his shirt.

"So then we're…" Castle was distracted by the view momentarily. "We're dating? As in there will be future dates? We're _together_?"

"What? Sure, fine, Castle. Whatever. We're dating. Together," she agreed distractedly while opening his shirt to reveal a surprisingly chiseled chest. _He must work out…but when does he have time to…wait, what did I just agree to? Did I just become Richard Castle's girlfriend?_

"Okay, then. That's all I needed to hear!" Rick exclaimed with a cocky grin. He reached up and slipped his hands into her open shirt, then deftly slid it down her arms and tossed it across the room. "To tell you the truth, I thought you'd be harder to convince!" Then he quickly rolled them so he was on top. Still, Rick focused on kissing Kate. He'd been imagining kissing her for so long—everything from playful lip-smackers to devouring kisses, and although he'd gotten to play out some of his fantasies on the page between Heat and Rook, there were so many kinds of kisses he hadn't gotten to try with Kate yet.

Kate had felt a flare of panic after realizing what she'd inadvertently agreed to...or at least the way Castle seemed to be interpreting her answer. She'd been about to set him straight when he'd begun to kiss her again. She could no longer remember what she was protesting or why.

**AN- Tune in tomorrow for Part 2- The Smuttening. Or, if you don't dig smut, wait two days and skip to chapter 7. Comment, please!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN-Thank you for your patience...not to mention all the favorites, story alerts and comments. I am genuinely touched. Your kind words keep me writing. Reminder: if you don't want smut, skip this chapter. XOXO!  
**

Their bodies writhed. Every now and then, their clever hands managed to remove and toss another article of clothing. They were down to just her cotton bikini briefs. Their eyes and hands explored each new territory revealed. Kate's pale, lithe body was more magnificent than Rick had imagined, and he'd imagined a bombshell. Rick was more athletic than Kate had guessed. She reveled in the feel of his muscular body under her hands. Then, Rick grabbed a handful of her hair, tugged just hard enough to make Kate gasp in surprise, and unleashed a fiery kiss that he'd been holding back.

Kate moaned and switched gears from slow, sumptuous kisses to fierce, consuming ones. As they kissed, she began to arch and rotate her hips beneath Rick, causing the most delicious friction. Then, her tempo increased, and the damp cotton of her panties rubbing against Rick was almost painful.

"Kate, wait a second. Stop." He grabbed her hips to hold them in place. She groaned in frustration, but then Rick slipped off her underwear. He began to kiss his way down her smooth, white skin. His kisses traced the lines of her body. Her skin was marked by a few raised scars. Someone had sliced her skin, and she'd been shot at some point in her career. Castle's new, mature side was worried that Kate put herself in such danger. His old, immature side found it sexy as hell. His lips caressed each scar.

Then Rick's hands made their way to Kate's breasts, caressing and gently tweaking. His fingers didn't have the intriguing calluses that roughened the fingers of some of Kate's past lovers, but his fingers were deft and strong from years of constant typing. _He's certainly pushing my buttons. _Kate giggled at the silly thought. She didn't usually giggle during sex. Hell, Katherine Beckett rarely giggled, period. She liked it in this context. Rick chuckled in return, not knowing the exact cause of Kate's mirth, but enjoying it anyway.

In fact, he decided to see if he could get her to giggle more, and moved down the bed. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her belly, then blew a raspberry. Kate laughed harder than Rick had ever witnessed prior.

"CASTLE!" she exclaimed, trying to sound outraged, as her body flew into a sitting position.

"What, Kate?" he asked innocently, still kissing his way down her abdomen.

"What do you mean, 'What?' I was in the mood, and you had to go and…"

Suddenly, Castle's mouth dipped between Kate's thighs and she collapsed back into a reclining position. He focused his efforts on Kate's wet heat, licking and flicking with his tongue—stopping now and then to make her laugh with a loud, smacking kiss to her thighs or behind a knee. She hadn't known sex could be simultaneously so playful and so hot. Her low, throaty laughs were an aphrodisiac to Castle. He couldn't get enough. He continued to nibble and lap at Kate, glorying in her flavor, her scent and her moans. She bucked under his mouth and grabbed his hair with both hands. She was about to scream and wasn't sure she could stop herself.

"Get up here, Castle!" she begged frantically, dragging his mouth up to hers to muffle her scream. He quickly reached down, rubbing Kate to make sure they didn't lose the momentum he'd been building. Her body bucked, drew tight, then suddenly released. She screamed against Rick's lips. He slipped his fingers inside Kate to feel her pulse around him.

"I want you inside me," Kate proclaimed in a bossy tone.

"You'll have to wait," he replied, curling his fingers up to caress her.

"Wh-why?" she stuttered as his action caused pleasure to ripple through her.

"Well, first I need to finish this. Then I need to grab a condom."

Kate rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean instantly, Castle. Of course you should put on a...oh!" Another wave had shot through Kate, and she could feel yet another building. Castle kept his face near hers, ready to muffle any screams with kisses, as his hands nimbly worked. He could feel what he'd been trying for: the big one was going to hit her. As he felt Kate's body begin to shake, Rick bent his lips to hers and kissed her deeply while continuing to caress between her thighs.

Kate was grateful for Rick's mouth over hers, sure her screams would have roused the entire household. She had never come that hard, and now she was so wet and still pulsing. Kate longed to feel Rick come inside her.

"Now, Castle. Get the condom before I kill you."

He laughed. "Not much for gratitude, are you, Kate?"

"Oh, I'm grateful. I'd just rather show you than tell you," she purred, a dangerous edge to her voice.

He laughed and fetched a foil packet from the drawer of his nightstand. Kate took it from him and pushed Rick to lie down. She opened the condom and deftly rolled it in place, then grasped him firmly.

Rick's eyes popped wide open. "What the fu…"

Kate laughed, remembering that was her exact reaction when Castle had first kissed her in the bathroom.

"What's the matter, Castle? Scared?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed, nodding. "I'm terrified!"

"Don't worry. I'll take it easy on you," she said. But this was the one aspect of Kate Beckett's life that she didn't over-think. Soon, she let her body follow its own rhythm. She rode Rick so hard that the bed started to inch its way farther and farther from the wall.

_If this is her taking it 'easy,' _Rick thought, _I'm not sure I'd live through 'hard!'_

The heat and tension built between Rick and Kate. When they came, this time Kate muffled Rick's shout with kisses. He shuddered, and she fell forward onto his chest, then looked around.

"How did we get over here?" she asked, genuinely puzzled by the bed's new position in the middle of Rick's room.

He laughed and replied, "You decided you didn't like it by the wall."

Kate's eyes widened a bit as she got his meaning, and she nodded. "Right," she replied, as if this were standard for her.

"Stay there," Rick admonished, then got up and pushed the bed back into place. Kate laughed as the naked man rearranged furniture. He flashed her a boyish grin and managed to find and put on his boxers. "Be right back." He dashed off to the kitchen and returned with two glasses of water. Then he shucked the boxers and climbed back into bed. They took long draughts of the cool water and set their glasses on the nightstand where the lamp still glowed.

Rick pulled Kate close to his chest and kissed her, then settled in to go to sleep.

"I should go," Kate said, but she didn't pull away. Soon they were both dozing.

**AN- And now _I_ could use some cold water. Well, we did it! We finally caught up to the opening flashback. Yay! Reviews are always appreciated. Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Despite her repeated utterance of "crap" upon waking up spooning with Richard Castle, Kate loved resting in Rick's arms—in Rick's bed. She wanted to sleep in with him. She wanted to stay in bed with him all day doing the New York Times crossword puzzle or go take part in some other New York couple-cliché that her girlfriends were always enacting: a walk in Central Park, a Mets or Yankees game, a trip to the Met or brunch with Bloody Marys. But that's not how Beckett's life worked. Other people got the Disney fairytale ending. She felt more suited for Grimm's fairytales: bloody and dark. And Castle had a kid. Kate loved Alexis, she realized, and didn't want the teenager to be crushed when things went wrong.

"Come on, Kate. Talk to me. What's going on? I can tell your brain is going a million miles an hour."

"It's nothing."

"I have ways of making you talk," he teasingly threatened. "Don't make me tickle you, Beckett."

"Don't forget: I carry a gun, Castle."

"You can do it, Kate. Just tell me what's bothering you."

She sighed, but decided to give open communication a shot. "I'm afraid this is going to end badly. That we'll screw it up."

"You're probably right," Rick replied, even as his instincts screamed that she was wrong. "Most romances don't last, and we don't have the best track records."

"Well, that's comforting, Castle!"

"I'm just being honest. This time feels different—better— but I could be wrong. We might end up hating each other. I want to try anyway. I'm good for your work. You're good for mine. My family loves you. You seem to love my family. You're smart and sexy as hell. Coincidentally, so am I! What do we have to lose?"

"We could both get our hearts blown to bits, and take down Alexis in the crossfire."

"I hate to tell you this, but it's already too late for us. We can't go back to the way things were. Last year when you stopped talking to me, Alexis was distraught and I was climbing the walls. And that was before I knew what you were like in bed."

She swatted him for that comment, but took in the serious part of his statement. Kate probably could have pretended they had never slept together (she was more practiced at denial than Castle), but she couldn't pull it off if Castle didn't play along. And now, instead of weaving a tale of a happily-ever-after for them, Rick was admitting that they might not work out, and it could all end painfully.

"Actually, that _is_ strangely comforting," Kate said with a puzzled tone. It removed the pressure of trying to live up to any romantic ideals.

In truth, Castle's brain was screening a time-lapse film of their life together, complete with a big wedding, chubby babies, raising their happy combined family and dying in their sleep of old age. He was shocked to find he didn't feel like a trapped animal ready to gnaw its own paw off to escape. He _liked_ the movie. Rick suspected Kate was still in the paw-gnawing phase, so he continued with his strategy of pretending they were doomed.

"Yep," Castle replied. "Statistically speaking, we'll probably break up, so lets have fun together while we can and try our best to make it work. Then, if we actually manage to stay happy together, it's just a bonus."

"A bonus?"

"Some people think every relationship that doesn't end with blissfully growing old together is a failure. I disagree. I didn't stay with Alexis's mom, but our relationship was a success because we got an amazing daughter out of it, and we work together to raise her. Maybe, even if you and I break up, we'll be a success."

"Because of Nikki Heat books and murderers behind bars?"

"Actually, I wasn't thinking of that at all." _I was thinking I could help you open up. Maybe I could make you laugh and smile more. Maybe I could get you to fall in love. _He couldn't scare her off by saying any of those things, so he found another truth to share with her."I was thinking you've helped me grow up. Well, not all the way, of course. No one wants that."

"Perish the thought," Kate mocked, with a faux shudder.

"But you've made me see life differently. I understand consequences in a way I didn't before. I know, now, how quickly everything can change—that we don't have all the time in the world to wait. So, are you in?"

This was Kate's chance to escape. She could say no now, and go back to work as usual on Monday. He'd probably stop coming to the precinct. During bouts of gunfire, she wouldn't have to worry about him bumbling in his bulletproof vest emblazoned "WRITER." No one would give her hugs and make her cry. And yet…

"Fuck. I'm in," she replied, in spite of her worries. Her gut had told her to agree, and Kate was used to trusting her instincts. They often saved her life.

"I've never heard you swear so much. When things get mushy, you curse like a sailor!"

"Keep that in mind if you're ever considering getting mushy with me in public, or in front of your daughter."

"I'll make her plug her ears."

Kate laughed at the mental image of the mature, elegant teen with her fingers in her ears while Castle made lovey-dovey faces at a cursing Kate Beckett.

"So, does that mean you're staying?"

"Fine," she grumbled, as if put out. "Shut off the alarm clock. I don't want it to start blaring."

He followed her instructions, and moved back into prime spooning position. "Let me just say, you're doing an admirable job of cuddling. I am shocked by how long you've allowed me to snuggle you." He punctuated the sentence by nuzzling his nose behind her right ear.

Kate growled, but nestled closer to his body and pulled his arm tighter around her waist. "Shut up, Rick."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN- You know who's awesome? You are! Thanks for the amazing words of encouragement.**

**Later Saturday Morning**

When Kate opened her eyes again, it was light out, and he could hear the sounds of pots and pans clunking in the kitchen.

"Shit!"

"Still traumatized, Kate? Are you going to wake up freaked out and cursing every time we sleep together?"

"No, it's not that! Martha and Alexis are up now. How do you normally handle this?"

"Breakfast?"

"Bringing a woman who has _slept over_ to breakfast!"

"Oh. Well, I haven't. I don't have women over when Alexis is here. I don't want her to get attached to someone who might not be around in the long run." He saw Kate's eyes widen at the words 'long run' and backtracked. "I wasn't planning for us to have sex last night. It just…happened. And besides, Alexis is already attached to you."

"So, what are our options?"

"Well, you can't sneak out, because they've probably already seen your jacket and shoes out there. As I see it, we have three options: one- confess, two- pretend you slept in the guest room and hope they didn't already _check_ in there, and three- what I call the 'don't ask/don't tell' method: we go to breakfast as though it is perfectly normal, offer no explanations and hope they don't call us on it."

"How likely is it that they won't call us on it?"

"Alexis? Very likely. My mother? Not so much. If we're lucky she'll just use innuendo, then grill me for details after you leave. So, which plan do you prefer?"

Kate longed to pick option number two, the bold-faced lie. She wasn't used to anyone being privy to the details of her love life, save occasional tidbits Kate recounted to Lanie over cocktails.

"Which would be better for Alexis?"

Castle could not rein in his broad smile. He gave her an exuberant kiss on the mouth. "Let me think about that. Hmm…let's go for a combination of one and three. We go to breakfast as though nothing happened last night, but tell them we've decided to try dating."

Kate nodded resolutely. Rick saw her take a deep breath, then exhale. She was steeling herself for what was coming. "Okay, on second thought," Castle amended, "I'll take a quick shower. Then, while you're showering, I'll go tell them we're dating. When you're ready, you can come out for breakfast and pretend nothing happened."

She sighed with relief. "Oh, thank you, Castle. I'm just not…I can't…"

"It's okay," he replied, deadpan, "You cried. You stayed here. You _cuddled_." Rick shuddered dramatically. "You've been through enough trauma in the last 24 hours."

Kate laughed at his claim that cuddling was traumatic for her. _What was the old saying? It's funny because it's true._

When Kate emerged from Castle's room after her shower, she wondered what Rick had said to his family. Martha's exclamation of "Good morning, Kate!" actually had a _less_ suggestive tone than the actress usually used. Alexis was beaming, but looked like she was trying to tamp down her excitement.

"Kate, I hope you like bacon and waffles."

"That sounds great, Alexis." Kate couldn't stop herself from beaming back.

They chatted amiably while eating their breakfast. Then Kate slipped on her shoes and coat. "I really should be going," she said.

"You can't stay?" Alexis asked.

"Well, I need clean clothes and to brush my teeth, and…"

"I understand," Alexis replied, then thought back to her father's successful ploy from the day before. "Could you come back for dinner? I'm making a new recipe I want you to try."

"Really? I didn't know you were so into cooking. What are you making?"

The teenager's usually-nimble mind went blank.

"A soufflé," Martha proclaimed.

"Wow. Okay. I'd love to try your soufflé, Alexis. What time should I be here?"

"Well, dinner will be at seven, but you can come earlier and hang out!"

"I'll see you then," she said as Castle walked her out.

After the door closed, Alexis turned to her grandmother. "Gram, do you know how to make a soufflé?" From what Alexis had seen on TV, the least disturbance could cause a soufflé to fall, ruining the dish.

"No, darling. Don't you?" Alexis shook her head, but the actress was undaunted. "I'm sure you'll do a marvelous job. How hard could it be?"

Outside, Castle and Beckett were saying their goodbyes. "Listen, thank you for being so nice with Alexis, but if we're going too fast, or you need some time to yourself, I'll understand. So will she."

Kate thought about it. She knew she would relish having some peace and quiet back at her apartment, but figured seven hours was plenty of time alone. "I'll see you at six," she said, pulling him in for a kiss.

**AN- Thanks for sticking with the story, my fabulous readers. Please take a moment to leave a comments or suggestion. Thank you!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN-How much do I love my readers? SO MUCH! Readership has actually increased post-chapter six, which means you weren't just in it for the smut, and you keep subscribing to alerts, making "What You Need" a favorite and leaving comments. Thank you.**

**I'm sorry I haven't replied to everyone. (I'm trying to complete my thesis for my MFA poetry degree, which keeps me rather busy. Just writing stories for you is naughty.) I hope you all enjoy today's installment. **

"Okay, both of you, out of my kitchen," Alexis proclaimed.

"_Your_ kitchen?" her father replied.

"James Beard said, 'The only thing that will make a soufflé fall is if it knows you are afraid of it.' You and Detec—um, Kate are oozing fear."

"Oozing fear? I don't think I'm oozing fear," Kate defended.

"_James Beard?" _Rick asked, incredulous.

"Famous chef," Alexis replied. "He helped establish gourmet American cooking."

"And a lovely man," Martha intoned as she swept through the kitchen for a glass of wine. "He threw the most marvelous dinner parties."

"_I_ know who James Beard is. Mother, _you_ know who James Beard is. I'm just surprised that _Alexis_ knows who he is, since he died before she was born."

"Wikipedia, Dad. I was Googling soufflé-making tips, saw the quote and looked him up. Now stop stalling and get out of my kitchen," she said, sternly. Then she broke into her trademark, beaming smile: "Please?

"Fine," he replied, "but we're taking the wine."

"Oh, no," Alexis mocked, "How shall I live without my Chablis?"

"See, this? This is why children should not be raised by actresses. They grow up flippant and sarcastic!"

"Like father like daughter?" Kate replied as Rick opened the refrigerator. Kate noticed a second ramekin of liquid on the fridge shelf, and whispered, "How much soufflé does she expect us to eat?"

Rick grabbed the wine and motioned for Kate to follow him into his study.

"That was the spare soufflé."

"Spare?"

"In case the first one falls. Her fearlessness in the kitchen was merely an act of bravado. Plus, if Alexis has to resort to the spare, she won't want any witnesses."

For some reason, the girl's nervousness made Kate want to gush, "Aw!" She resisted. "Having a spare is smart, actually. Okay, I was nervous about the soufflé falling," Kate admitted. "Definitely not _oozing fear,_ but…"

"I was! Not because of the food—we can always order takeout. She just desperately wants everything to turn out perfectly."

"In more ways than one," Kate replied.

"Look at you, turning the subtext into the text!"

"Thanks, Professor Castle," she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Ooh, Miss Beckett, is that how you want to play it? The school girl in the professor's office after hours," he teased, hugging her and smooching up her long neck.

"Ew, Castle."

"Ew? Oh, come on, Kate! I know how you love working undercover. Are you telling me you never use your undercover skills…under the covers?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "No comment, writer-boy," she replied in her best Russian accent.

"Now we're talking, Natasha! No, Svetlana? No…"

"Ekaterina or Katya, moy dorogoy—my darlink," she translated, still in character.

"Katya, you spoke Russian!" he proclaimed, kissing his way up her arm in a perfect Gomez Addams imitation.

Kate laughed, but wriggled away and dropped character. "I thought you had too many actresses in your life, Castle. Besides, we need to talk."

He grabbed Detective Beckett and dipped her. "Oh, I don't like the sound of that. Nothing good ever comes after 'We need to talk.'"

She rolled her eyes again. "Fine. Consider this a negotiation."

"Okay," he said, returning her to her upright position and releasing her. "What, do you want, a cut of Nikki Heat?"

"Very funny."

"Then what are we negotiating?"

"The terms of our relationship."

"Should I call my lawyer?"

"What's the matter, don't think you can keep up with me on your own?"

"Okay, what's your first condition, Kate?"

"You can't say anything about us at work."

"I wasn't planning to," he replied. A look of relief spread across Kate's face. "I was thinking more along the likes of a full-page add in the Times...maybe with a limerick. 'There once was a cop named Kate Beckett, whose...'" Kate quickly placed her hand over his mouth, not wanting to hear how the dirty rhyme would end.

"We keep this a secret. At work I call you Castle, and you call me Detective Beckett. No caresses, no moony looks, and you flirt precisely the amount you flirted already." She cautiously removed her hand from Rick's lips.

"Same to you, Beckett! How long?"

"Six months."

Rick had thought she would ask for more, but decided to press his luck: "Two."

"Four, final offer."

"Done. My turn: we date exclusively."

"Done," she replied with a nod. "Drawers in each other's apartments?"

"Check. You can even have some closet space," he replied with a grin. This was a strange way to do things, but he had to hand it to Kate—it would save time and eliminate a lot of uncertainty and awkwardness. "Any issues are discussed proactively before they become problems," he proposed.

"I'm not sure what you mean," she said, with a furrowed brow.

"I _mean,_ if you're scared, tell me. If you're mad, tell me. Don't let it stew. Don't hope it goes away. We'll just talk it out."

"That sounds kind of…"

"Awesome? Is the word you're looking for 'awesome'?"

"Actually, I was torn between 'awkward' and 'too easy.'"

"It's easier than fighting, but hard if you're not used to being open."

"I'll _try_. How's that?"

"All I could ask for," he replied, smiling. "Your turn."

"I get veto authority on Nikki Heat drafts."

"No way!"

"It was one thing when you were basing her off stuff you saw at work, but at home and _in bed?"_

"Hmmm…I hadn't thought of it that way. Okay, you can veto if I include a real detail that is too personal. However, you cannot veto based solely on Rook being too amazing or Heat being too slutty."

Kate sighed, but took what she could get. "Fine. Next?"

"Dating exclusively means you have to accompany me to public events, even in the first four months."

"How do you expect to do that and keep us a secret?"

"Claim coercion from my publicist, the mayor and your boss. The guys at the precinct will buy it because it's been true so far. If there are any events those excuses won't cover, we can say you lost a bet."

"Fine, but if I have to lose a fake bet with you, you'll have to lose a fake bet sometime to even things up. It may involve dressing you in drag."

"Sounds reasonable. Not enough people get to see my shapely calves, anyway. Okay, I think this is my last one: if we break up, we at least try to be friends."

She nodded. "And if Alexis wants to stay friends, she and I do, whether you and I get along or not," she added, staring at her feet.

Rick had dated a lot of women. Many of them wanted to land him, as he was considered a catch. More than one had tried to use Alexis to get to him. Kate, though, looked as scared at the idea of losing Alexis as she had at the idea of dating Castle. Rick didn't know Kate was more afraid of Alexis losing her. The detective knew loss and could handle it, but Alexis had never lost anyone she couldn't afford to lose.

"Of course," he replied, hugging Kate. He took her face in his hands and kissed her, deeply, but tenderly.

"Dad," he heard stage-whispered from the other side of his door. He opened it to his daughter, who triumphantly whispered, "I did it!" She spun around on her stocking feet.

"THAT'S…"

"Shhhh!"

"That's great," he excitedly whispered back.

Alexis scampered off to tidy up her food-smeared appearance and alert Martha that dinner was ready. She had already dimmed the lights, set the table, turned on some Etta James, and lit candles. The pink roses sat in a crystal vase in the center of the table. One rose had begun to droop, so Alexis had scattered its velvety pink petals around the place settings. The savory scent of the perfectly-risen soufflé wafted in the air. The combined result was lushly romantic.

"I think your kid is trying to _woo_ me, Castle."

"She gets her subtlety from me._"_

**AN- All comments and/or encouragement are welcome. Keep reading and writing, fellow word-lovers!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN- Yesterday I had the most readers yet! I adore you guys. This web site is so seductive. I've published my poetry and nonfiction, but I never know how many people read my work or what they think. Here, a computer counts the visitors, and some of you kindly take time from your lives to click a button and tell me what you think. Bless you all!  
**

"I would like to renegotiate our terms."

Beckett and Castle were driving down Sixth Avenue on their way to a crime scene.

"What? Castle, we just set the terms five days ago."

"Well, five days ago the terms seemed reasonable. Now they seem distinctly…unreasonable."

"Which ones? Having trouble getting rid of enough clothes to clear out my drawer?"

"No. The let's-keep-it-secret rule. _That_ rule."

'That's the most important one, Castle! I had to fight tooth and nail to get respect as a female detective. I can't have the entire NYPD—the whole city, for that matter—thinking I'm some bimbo who's sleeping her way to fame and fortune!"

"Crap. I was afraid you were going to say that," he replied, guiltily.

"Why," she replied warily, "what did you do?"

"Nothing…except…"

"What, Castle? Spill it!"

"My book agent kind of knows about us."

"WHAT?"

"You guys should hire her, Kate. Paula would have criminals confessing in no time flat."

"Castle…"

"Okay, okay. She asked if I was seeing anyone. I said I wasn't. She wanted to set me up with some women who would get my face in the papers. I said no. In the past, she'd always been pushing me to take you everywhere, so I asked whether I should just take you. She said, 'I got the impression from Donna at _The Ledger _that you don't want the press to think you're dating Detective Beckett. It's hard to convince them otherwise when you keep taking her places as your date.'"

Kate laughed. "Seems to me I said something like that."

"Don't remind me. I said, 'Let them think what they want. If anyone asks Detective Beckett or me about it, we'll tell them on the record that we're just colleagues. Off the record, we'll tell them it's a publicity stunt."

"Putting all the blame on Paula?"

"You know, she didn't like that idea, either."

"I'm shocked," she sarcastically replied. "How did this lead to you telling her about us?"

"Well, technically, I didn't."

"You _didn't_," she skeptically repeated. 'Out with it, already. We're almost to the crime scene."

"Well, just then, you called to tell me about the latest break in the case."

***

Rick smiled just before he answered the phone, picking up before the second ring. Rick was careful, calling her Beckett. His instinct had originally been to act entirely professional with Kate when others were watching, but Kate had reminded him that would be just as suspicious as affection, as they'd been bantering for more than a year. As such, he threw some mild teasing into the conversation, told Kate he was on his way to the station and hung up.

Rick had chosen his words carefully, and even monitored the tone of his voice. What had given him away, however, was the speed with which he answered Detective Beckett's call and the look on his face as he did so. Paula Haas knew how to read a facial expression. A key element of her job was choosing (and sometimes leaking) the right pictures to sell a story to the press. The look on his face in that moment screamed "MAN IN LOVE!" It was, in fact, more than she'd hoped for. Paula would have been willing to settle for "guy with a hot date," or "man in lust!"

"Do _you _even know?" she asked with a thick New York accent.

"Know what?"

"You're in love with her."

"With whom?"

"With _whom_?" Paula scoffed, raising one impossibly-perfect, arched brow. "With Detective Katherine Beckett, that's _with whom!_"

"What? You're stuck on this idea again?"

"No, this is a new idea. Before, I thought you had a thing for her. Now, I think you're in love with her. There's a difference."

"I'm not in…in _love_ with Kate."

"So it's Kate now?"

"That—that's her name," he stammered, blushing.

"How far has this gone?"

Rick continued to play dumb. Paula's ice-blue eyes fixed on her client. Then, she reached out with impeccably-manicured fingers, snatched the cell phone from Rick's hand and pushed a few buttons. Castle exhaled in relief. He and Beckett knew better than to text or leave compromising voice mail. In fact, they'd been together so much that they had barely called each other in days.

"So, you two have been together since Friday," she smugly announced.

"What? How did you…" _Shit. Busted. Man, it's so much more fun when Beckett and I trick the bad guy than when it's me getting tricked. _

"Simple. You went from daily calls back and forth to no calls. Now, don't you have a murder to get to?" Paula asked, returning the cell phone to a shell-shocked Rick Castle.

****

"After I hung up, she stole my phone!"

"So? It's not like there are any messages or a ton of logged calls."

"Exactly! That's the problem. We suddenly stopped calling each other."

"Maybe we _should_ hire her. Is she going to out us to the press?"

"Only if leaking the story is best for business. I had to leave before I had a chance to convince her it's not."

"So you're telling me we might already be Page-Six-fodder?"

"That's if we're lucky. Well, no. Lucky would be if Paula decides to keep our secret. Lucky-ish would be if she just tips off Page Six."

Kate turned to him, horrified. "What's _unlucky_, Castle?" she gritted before returning her eyes to the road.

"Unlucky involves…paparazzi?" He shrank into a defensive position in anticipation of getting walloped.

Kate had to stop herself from slamming on the brakes. _Murder scene,_ she reminded herself. _I am a police detective on her way to a murder scene. I have a job to do. I have a crime to solve. Killing Castle would just result in a ton of paperwork._

"You know, the press doesn't usually care about writers' personal lives! I read a lot, and the most you hear is when a new book is coming out or they win an award. Maybe it makes the papers if they sign a huge new contract or get married or divorced, but no one cares about an author's dating life!"

"Okay, that's partly not my fault, because my mom was already famous in New York. The press loves it when the kid of a famous person makes good. Or better yet makes good then makes bad."

"You said it's partly not your fault; which part _is_ your fault?"

"I hired Paula Haas. She's really good at her job. She convinced the press that readers _do _care about my dating life. It was good for their circulation and my sales."

"What about your actual relationships? Was it good for those?"

"The women I had relationships with didn't exactly mind having their pictures in the paper."

"Of course they didn't. So how do we undo it? How do we convince the papers your dating habits aren't interesting?"

"I don't think we can."

"I'm mad, Castle," she gritted through clenched teeth. "You said to tell you when I'm mad, so I'm telling you: I'M MAD." They had reached the scene, so Kate parked the car, exited and slammed the door shut before Rick even managed to unfasten his seatbelt.

**AN- First, I wasn't going to write fanfic at all. I was just going to read it. Then, I came up with a few little fluff pieces I wanted to try--cute little what-if-they-got-together scenarios-- but all your encouragement is tempting me to turn this into an actual story...with plot and conflict and such. Maybe even a case fic. What do you think: draw the current fluff to a close and start a new story, or evolve this story?**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN- And the verdict is: I shall soon draw this story to its natural conclusion, but in the near future, I will create a sequel. Thanks for your help!**

By the time Castle ducked under the yellow tape and made his way to the team, Lanie already had the corpse loaded into her van.

"What's with you and my girl?" Lanie asked as he approached.

"I have no idea what you mean," Castle replied.

"Someone is going to tell me," she insisted. "You know who _always_ tell me their secrets? Dead people. I hope either you or Kate fills me in before I have to resort to desperate measures."

"Is it wrong that I find you hotter when you're creepy?"

"Flirt all you want. I will find out eventually!" she exclaimed as she climbed into the white van and drove away.

"Hey," Esposito exclaimed, "Nice of you to join us, Castle."

"Yeah," Ryan added. "Didn't you ride with Beckett? What happened, you get lost between here and the car?"

"I had to call my agent," Rick replied.

"Really?" Kate casually asked. "Decide to write the spy books after all?"

"No way," Ryan said, "I bet he's angling for more cash for Nikki Heat."

"My bet's on more Heat books," Esposito replied. "He's almost done writing this one, and he can't stand the thought of leaving 'the extraordinary KB and [his] friends at the 12th.'"

"You caught me, Esposito. They do want me to sign on for more. Technically, Ryan, you're right, too. My agent is trying to squeeze some more money out of the publisher. It would probably be easier if the publisher weren't my ex-wife."

Kate raised an eyebrow, wondering if any of what Rick claimed was true, or just an above-average cover story. "Too bad you missed the body, Castle," she said. "It was a good one."

"Yeah," Ryan added. "See, the guy was hanged, and the room was locked from the inside. The weird thing is, there was nothing in the room he could have stood on to hang himself. Although there was a big puddle…"

"Very funny. The old block-of-ice riddle. Hilarious."

"You're too smart for us, Castle," Esposito replied. "Actually, the room _was_ locked, and there _was_ a puddle, but the guy wasn't hanged. He was stabbed."

"Ah, the classic stabbed-with-an-ice-sickle routine!"

"Boys, stop pulling Castle's leg. Our vic was stabbed, but by his own kid. We arrested the kid at the scene and sent him to the hospital. He was bleeding and needed surgery. The problem is, once he got there, the doctor told our officers, 'I can't operate on him. He's my son.'"

"I thought you said the kid _murdered_ his fa—" Rick saw grins tugging at the corners of the cops' mouths. "Very funny. Okay, you got me." The cops laughed and walked off to canvas the neighborhood in search of witnesses in the actual case, a hit-and-run.

"Oh, his mom!" Castle exclaimed, excited. "The surgeon was his mom!"

**** ****

Back in the car, Rick tapped a number into his phone. Kate was just buckling herself in behind the wheel, and her phone began to ring.

"Castle, what are you…"

"Take the call, I don't mind," he said.

She sighed, resigned to playing his game. "Hello?"

"Kate," he exclaimed. "Sorry I haven't called in a while. I've been busy."

"Was any of what you said out there true?"

"Yes, actually. They want to extend my contract," He replied. "And I do think the surgeon was the perp's mother."

She hung up with a sigh and shook her head at him. "So, what did Paula say?"

**** ****

"Calm down, Rick. I didn't call anybody."

"Seriously?" he asked, sighing. "Thank God. I'm so relieved."

"What do I look like, an idiot? I'm not going to kill the goose that laid the golden egg! Nikki Heat's sales are blowing Derrick Storm out of the water. The book is so good because you're working with Beckett. She can't work if the freakin' paparazzi are following you around. She'd probably kick your ass to the curb, mayor's pal or not."

"Okay…so then why were you grilling me?"

"I have to be ready to spin this thing once reporters catch on. I told you, it's hard to convince the press you're not dating a person when you keep taking her on dates. Now I have to figure out how to convince them you two aren't dating, but you _might _date_._"

_"Ah,_" Rick replied, "Keep the press playing the old will-they-or-won't-they game! You do have your work cut out for you."

"Sometimes I hate you," Paula grumbled.

"Then it's a good thing I make you merry bundles of cash," he replied.

"Damn straight."

***** *****

"We're in the clear."

"How did you swing that?" Kate asked.

"Through my masterful skills of persuasion."

"In other words, she never planned to tell, did she?"

"No, no she did not."

**AN- Thanks for sticking along for the ride, people! Leave a review, please, and I'll see you tomorrow [SCRATCH THAT. Too swamped at work. Sorry. See you Wednesday] with the next installment.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the delay, everyone. I know I promised to post yesterday, but real life took precedence. Sigh! Darn real life and its unwillingness to be controlled by me. Hope the wait was worth it.**

"Why don't we ask Kate?" Alexis posited as she and Rick tromped down the stairs.

"Ask Kate what?" Kate replied, sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter finishing breakfast—a fresh everything bagel and cream cheese. It was Saturday morning. Martha was off preparing for a matinee of her play. Kate adored Martha, and loved having a mother-figure in her life, but she was looking forward to having a peaceful day with Alexis and Castle.

"Fine," Rick said. "Ask her."

"Okay, I have this friend who's in love, and he wants to tell the girl. The thing is, she's kind of commitment-phobic and hates the mushy stuff. He asked me what to do, and I think he should tell her. Grams agrees with me, but Dad thinks the guy should wait for her to say it first. What do you think?"

"A person _should_ be commitment-phobic at your age. You're in high school!" Kate exclaimed, sipping her cappuccino.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Kate," she admonished, taking the stool to Kate's right. Rick leaned against the counter to Kate's left.

"Okay," she said and sighed, "I agree with you and Martha. Relationships require honesty. Hiding something so important is lying by omission. If she doesn't love him back, he needs to know that so he can move on. Besides, deep-down, even non-mushy people want to be loved."

"Told you, Dad!"

"Yes, you're very smart," Castle replied dryly.

"But tell your friend to just tell her," Kate added. "No music or candles. It sounds like getting overly romantic about it would just freak the girl out. He should just tell her, then give her some space."

Castle took Kate's hand in his. "Kate?"

She looked over at him.

"I love you." He dropped her hand and stepped back. "So, how much space are we talking, here? Should I go to my office? Leave the apartment? Draw you a bath? How traumatized are you?"

"I…I…" Kate's mouth hung open as she stammered.

"Oh, come on, _Detective_," Alexis whispered. You had to know, 'deep-down,' who we were talking about."

Kate's eyes were wide with shock.

"Dad, go fill the tub."

"I'm on it!" he exclaimed, relieved to have something to do.

A thought penetrated the fog in Kate's brain. She was a role model for Alexis, and what message was she sending: love is for the weak? Loneliness is easier than risking heartbreak? Kate knew she needed to snap out of it. Did she love Castle? _How should **I** know?_ Then a memory stirred in Kate's mind. As a little girl, she had asked her mother, "How did you know you were in love with Daddy?" Her mother had replied, "I couldn't picture the rest of my life without him." Kate tried to picture her life without Castle: going back to her former routine of police work all day, going out for the occasional date and hookup or a drink with Lanie, but usually going straight home to the quiet of her apartment. What had she told Lanie months ago? _I'm tired of quiet. I want loud. _And she did. She wanted Castle—goofy, sexy, loud Rick Castle. She turned to Alexis.

"Alexis," she said.

"Yeah, Kate?" She sounded relieved by the shift in Kate's tone.

"Thank you. For everything."

A huge smile crossed the redhead's face. "Kate? I'm going to get out of here."

"You don't have to."

"Yes, I do. I know you two, and…well, I'd rather not think about it."

Kate laughed as Alexis put on her coat and grabbed her purse. Just as she was about to open the door, Kate called out to her.

"Hey, Alexis? I love you."

Alexis ran across the room with a joyful squeal. She threw her arms around Kate in an exuberant hug.

"I love you, too!" She released Kate. "See how easy that was? You can do it, Kate. Say it just like that." And with that, Alexis left a happy-but-dazed Kate in the kitchen.

**Okay, now I have to get back to work. I'll see you with more tomorrow afternoon! I love comments, so please leave one. Oh, P.S.- ****Remember when Chapter 13 was fake? Guess what? It's not anymore! After you comment, go read chapter 13.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**The new, improved chapter 13: NOW WITH ACTUAL CONTENT. Hooray! **

Kate had a plan. She walked straight back to Rick's bedroom and began shedding clothes. She continued to do so all the way into the bathroom. Without looking at him, she walked over to the tub, stepped in, and lowered herself into the water. The lights were out, but some candles were burning.

"I know you said 'no candles,' but I though dim lighting would be more soothing. I'll blow them out, though, if you want." He paused. "No? Okay, I guess I'll just be going," he said, backing toward the door.

"Castle, I love you," Kate said, calmly.

A giant, triumphant grin swept across Rick's face. He darted across the room, splashed his way into the bathtub fully clothed, and wrapped his arms around Kate. Water sloshed over the side of the tub as he peppered her face with kisses. She laughed harder than she had since Rick blew a raspberry on her stomach the first time they'd had sex.

"Isn't your cell phone in your pocket? And your wallet?"

"I don't care," he said, and kissed her more deeply.

Kate reached out and unbuttoned his now-transparent shirt. As they kissed, she peeled the wet fabric down his arms, only to have it catch at his wrists. He made Kate laugh by reaching for her with his hands still tethered by the shirt. He couldn't extend his arms.

"You look like a t-rex!"

"Oh, yeah? Roar!" he replied, chomping in Kate'd direction. "Om, nom, nom," he added, nibbling up her bare shoulder, and Kate rolled her eyes. Then, he lost his balance and nearly fell.

"Okay, Rex. Let's get your hands free before you hurt yourself." She unbuttoned his cuffs, and he tossed the shirt, which landed on the tile floor with a splat.

"I hope you didn't love this belt," Kate said as she maneuvered the wet leather strip from his belt loops.

"Hated it."

Kate impulsively whipped it against the edge of the tub with a loud crack.

"You know, Mistress Beckett, I always suspected…"

"Shut up, Castle."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, his hands stroking her slick, wet skin. Sometimes it was still hard for him to believe that he was allowed to touch her this way.

Kate unbuttoned and unzipped Rick's pants, and they worked together to get him out of the soaking wet trousers and boxers.

They lay in the water, languidly kissing and running their hands over each other's slick, wet skin, until the water turned cold. Then they stepped out of the tub and wrapped themselves in towels, not bothering to buff the moisture from their bodies. Hand in hand, they walked into the bedroom and climbed onto the bed.

Instead of their usual sex—ranging from energetic and playful to passionate and driven— both seemed content to take it slowly. It was also unusual for them to be together in daylight. All week, they were at work from sun-up to sun-down, and they kept their romance out of the workplace. On weekends, they spent their days with Alexis and Martha. Today, though, they had the house to themselves. Sunlight shone through the blinds and lit Kate's hair and body. Rick thought she looked like a goddess in a Renaissance painting. He kept that mushy thought to himself—at least for now. The kissing stretched on and on, Kate's body draped atop Rick's. Finally, they stopped for breath. Kate rested her head on Rick's chest.

"Kate, I've never met anyone who likes to kiss as much as you do," he said.

"Me? I was just thinking the same thing about you!"

"So just making out like this for hours isn't normal for you?"

"Not since high school."

"Me neither."

She pressed a kiss just below his right ear, then gently scraped his earlobe with her teeth. Rick growled and rolled them so that he rested atop Kate.

He wanted to kiss every inch of her. He kissed her brow, her high cheekbones, the tip of her nose, and all along her strong jaw to her chin. Then, he copied Kate's earlier move, gently biting her earlobe. Kate gasped, and Rick chuckled in satisfaction.

He kissed below her ear and down her beautiful neck. Slowly, he kissed her shoulder, then worked his way across her gorgeous clavicle, stopping to pay extra attention to the hollow at the base of her throat. She sighed, happily. Rick continued, kissing the tender insides of each elbow. She shivered when his lips pressed the inside of her wrist, his tongue flicking out unexpectedly.

Then, Rick kissed her palm. His tongue drew a tight circle in her palm's center before his lips caressed it, again.

Kate suddenly remembered a snippet from eighth grade, when her class read _Romeo and Juliet_: "Holy palmer's kiss." She knew the phrase was really about praying pilgrims, seeking the holy land, but she could not shake the words, or the feeling that this was like a pilgrimage.

_You've been spending too much time with writer boy,_ she thought. _But maybe I'll tell him about this later, if I can get over the embarrassment. He'd like it._

**Sorry I teased you with a faux-extra chapter last time. And that I fell asleep yesterday before I could complete this chapter. Comment, please. Thanks!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Warning: SMUT. Smutty, smutty, smut-smut below this line. **

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Rick continued his mission, kissing his way down Kate's body, giving special attention to her breast and her belly button. He kissed her left hip, then began a path of kisses to the right. He dragged the very tips of his fingernails down the sides of her belly, feather-light, all the way from her ribs to the tops of her thighs. Kate was shocked by her reaction, as her body convulsed with pleasure.

"What the hell was that?" she asked.

"Well," Rick replied, "I've noticed that you react whenever I touch you lightly right…" his fingers skimmed over the place where belly shifted to pelvis "…here." She moaned breathily, arching her back. "You seem to enjoy it, so I thought, _I should focus on that, sometime_."

Kate was squirming, now. "Mmmm. Where else have you been wanting to focus?"

"Behind your knees," he replied, and moved down the bed, taking her legs in his hands. He kissed behind one, and the other. Then, in a surprise move, he placed one leg over each shoulder, and took Kate into his mouth.

"RICK!" she yelped in shock, her hands gripping the sheets beneath her.

He lifted his head for one moment. "Are we actually home alone?"

"Yes. Why?"

A devilish grin flashed across his face, and he caressed her with his thumb. "Well, usually, I have to stop before you come, so I can kiss you to keep you from screaming." With that, his mouth descended again. His lips and fingers were driving Kate crazy.

She never knew what he would do next. He massaged her with his fingers while his tongue delved inside of her. Rick licked, sucked and gently bit as his fingers dipped and curled. He switched back and forth, sometimes flicking his tongue wildly, but more often making slow, strong movements. It was driving Kate crazy. She thought she might hurt him soon if he didn't make her come. She had never wanted it this badly.

"Now, Castle. I need it now," she moaned, when the tension was unbearable.

He intensified his efforts, increasing his speed and he licked, flicked and sucked her, rubbed, stroked and caressed her. He was high on Kate: her taste, her scent, her sounds. High on her soft skin and strong body, writhing under his mouth and hands.

Finally, he felt Kate come against his mouth, her body trembling, bowing and arching. He kept his mouth moving on her, his fingers in her, as she pulsed. She came again and again and again until Castle lost count and Kate began to scream: combinations of his name, "Oh, God," and—most often—the word "yes."

Eventually, she lay on the sheets with a look of pure, catlike contentment. "Oh, thank you, Castle. That was amazing."

"You've got one more," he replied.

"I do not," she replied, sitting up so she could see him, still between her thighs. "I couldn't possibly have…"

Then, he just raised a cocky eyebrow, puckered his lips, and blew on her. Kate yelped and fell back, coming again.


	15. Chapter 15

**N- I didn't have time to write this, but I did it anyway. Why? Because I care. Also, because I've had more than 15,000 views on this story and more than 3,000 visitors. That's just CRAZY. Crazy AWESOME! (Sorry for bragging, but I'm proud.) T****hanks for all the reads, reviews, alerts and favorites, lovely people! **

**Also: WARNING. MORE SMUT BELOW. If you don't like it, skip to the next chapter.**

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"Oh, no," Kate said with a laugh.

"'Oh, no?' What's wrong now? Somehow I managed to traumatize you with orgasms?"

"Ha! No, I was just thinking, _I'm never going to live this down. For the rest of my life, Castle is going to tease me about the time he made me come using only his breath._ Your ego was overinflated as it was!"

Rick laughed, lying down beside Kate and pulling her in to spoon with him. _'For the rest of my life?' _ He liked the sound of that. "I'll take credit for knowing you had another orgasm waiting to hit, but I think you deserve the credit for being so orgasmic. God, you're sexy." He propped himself up on an elbow to look at her face. "KB, are you _blushing_?"

"No!" Kate exclaimed, but clapped her hands over her warm cheeks.

A moment later, Kate tried to move out of Rick's arms.

"Where are you going?" he asked. Kate turned to face him.

"Actually, I was about to return the favor," Kate said, gesturing down at Rick.

"No, thanks," Rick said, pulling her back into his arms.

"'No THANKS?' What do you MEAN, 'No thanks?'"

_I remember this tone: the who-does-Writer-Boy-think-he-is? tone, _Rick thought. _Haven't heard it in quite a while. Is it wrong that it turns me on?_ The truth is, their banter had always turned him on, and her fiery reactions were a big part of what made Rick fall for her in the first place.

"Maybe some other time, Kate. I'm just not in the mood for a blow-job. Frankly, I generally prefer sex."

Her jaw was dropped. "Yeah, right," she hissed. "Everyone knows guys LOVE blow-jobs. What, is it _me?_ I may not have the expertise of your 'Autograph my boobs!' groupies, but…"

"Woah, woah, woah. First of all, your bimbo voice? Very Marilyn Monroe. Hot. Second of all, I'm not saying I don't _love _a good blow job, or that you're not amazing at them. I just…Kate, I love your pussy. I can't get enough of it." He saw her blush again. "I didn't want to embarrass you, but now you're dragging groupies into it, so I have to make this clear. You are the hottest, sexiest woman I have ever been with. You have the most responsive body I've ever touched." He punctuated his point by running a hand down her side, making her arch and make a purr-like sound. "You do amazing, AMAZING things to me with your mouth— your lips and, God, your tongue, but I love coming with my arms around you, looking in your eyes. Especially tonight, because I love you, and tonight, I know you love me, too."

"Oh, Castle," Kate replied, rolling her eyes, "You are such a GIRL!"

"Thank you. Seriously, you don't think 'girl' is an insult, go you?"

"Not to an actual f_emale child_. To a grown man? Yeah, kinda. Little girls draw hearts in their notebooks and play he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not while pulling petals off of daisies, and…"

Rick cut off Kate's tirade by moving his hand from her hip to her core and stroking. She was soaking wet. Rick removed his fingers, and she whimpered slightly.

"Okay, tough guy," Rick teased her. Kate was lying on her back now. Rick moved over her, and she cradled him between her thighs. He stroked her cheekbones with his thumbs, then kissed each cheek before pressing his mouth to hers. Their tongues stroked and twirled. Kate's hips began to rotate of their own will, and it was Rick's turn to moan at the friction. He slid into her, losing his breath for a second at the feel of Kate around him.

"Wow, Castle," Kate said, 'You really meant it about my…pussy." She purred the last word into Castle's ear, and he groaned. While she was there, she licked his earlobe. Then, when he was distracted, she clenched and released inside, then rotated her hips.

"What the fu—"

Kate eased her knees up to her chest, bringing Castle in at a different angle, never stopping the movement of her hips and inner muscles.

"Oh, Kate! God, you're amazing, Beckett." He hooked his arms under her legs, so they were resting on his shoulders instead of being folded between them. "Wow, and flexible."

"You have no idea," she purred, and licked her lips.

She hadn't done it on purpose. Women had tried the supposedly-sexy salacious lip-licking on Rick before, and he'd never found it that alluring. Kate, though, had done it without thinking—her pink tongue darting out to moisten her lips. His mouth crashed down on hers, and he kissed her deeply.

Rick had thought this would be a slow, romantic, missionary-style lovemaking session. Instead, Kate was making him crazy, and he was slamming into her tight, wet heat with Kate's legs in the air. _Very romantic._

"Oh, God! Kate!" The sounds she was making and the way she moved under him and around him made him want to lose control.

"Harder, Castle. Fuck! Oh!"

It was what he had needed: the permission to lose control. Cate couldn't help but scream, growing louder with Rick's every driven move. Her hands were frenzied, grabbing his arms, his hair, and clawing his back. She was coming apart, and felt desperate for something to hold onto.

"Rick, I'm so close. So close, so…" Her voice shifted into a short, high, ecstatic scream. She pulsed around Rick, and he slammed into her one last time, yelling deep and loud.

After a moment, he lowered her legs, and tangled his hands in Kate's hair. He gazed into Kate's eyes.

"I love you," he said. His eyes were glassy, as if he might cry.

"I love you, too," Kate replied, before looking away and biting her lip. He lowered his mouth to hers, and kissed her slowly and tenderly.

Rick sat back on the mattress, legs in lotus position. Kate raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Come here," Rick said, pulling her to straddle his lap. She did, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. They were pressed so close to each other. It was almost more intimate than when he'd been inside her.

They stayed in bed all day, making love until the sun set on Manhattan.

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**Please leave a review. Thanks!**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN- More story, hot-off-the-presses, just for you! Warning, I think we're coming to a close, soon. I hope you're still enjoying the ride. **

Kate could hear her phone beep on the bedside table. It was a text from Alexis: "Safe, or should I stay w/ Jane?"

"Who's that?" Rick asked.

"Your daughter, seeing if she should come back or stay with a friend." Kate was already tapping away.

"What are you telling her?"

"I want her to come home," Kate said.

Rick pulled her into a hug at the word "home."

"What is it with your family and hugging?" Kate asked. "Today, as Alexis was leaving, I told her I loved her. She hugged me so hard it was nearly a tackle."

Rick could feel his heart expanding at Kate's words, but played it cool. "You mean _Alexis_ got an "I love you" before I did?" he asked with mock horror. "You're just using me for my awesome kid, aren't you?"

"You caught me," Kate replied, dramatically, as she finished sending the text. "It's better that you find out now!"

"So, you don't like all the hugging?" Rick asked, returning to his normal tone.

"Actually? It just…it reminds me of my mom," she said, levelly. "She used to hug me all the time. She made Dad and I hug each other, too. 'Your dad's having a bad day. Go give him a hug,' or 'You two, it's time to make up. Give each other a hug.' Once in a while, I'll get a quick hug from a friend or a relative or someone I'm dating, but they're not the same. You both hug like she did: all-out. It's like you're squeezing out…"

Kate couldn't say the rest, but Rick understood, and nodded. Their embraces released all the emotions she locked up.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Yes," she replied, and Rick chuckled. "Actually, I love how free Alexis is, just to tell people how she feels—just to show them. She's so…fearless."

Rick wished Alexis could hear this. The teen had told Rick about her awe of Detective Kate Beckett's bravery: working in a male-dominated field chasing down killers with her gun, badge and sexy pumps, but Kate Beckett was awed be his daughter. _Maybe Kate will tell her. _

"She was mainly raised by a writer and two actresses. We artsy types aren't known for emotional restraint. We believe in acting on our feelings. If you wait too long, the moment might pass you by, and you might miss out on something important," Rick said. "It has its pitfalls, though. Do you know how many times I've had to stop myself from hugging you at work? Probably thousands, starting way before we started dating. It was painful. And Alexis isn't quite as free as she seems. With friends and family, sure, but you should see her when she meets a boy—hell, even when she's dating one. She gets so shy, and since she's outgoing most of the time, the poor boys end up thinking she doesn't like them."

"Oh, no!"

"I probably didn't help matters, with my two divorces, and my stupid boob-signing, swinging-bachelor shtick."

"Probably not," Beckett agreed.

"Thanks, Kate. You're such a comforting girlfriend."

"Hey, you picked a detective, not a cheerleader.

"But you'd look great with some pompons and one of those little skirts."

She sighed, feigning disgust, and climbed out of bed. "Playtime is over, Castle. Let's get cleaned up before Alexis gets home."

As they quickly showered—no time to fool around—Kate remembered Rick's words from the first time they'd slept together, the night he'd asked her to stay:_ 'Kate, sometimes the strongest thing you can do is to ask for what you need.' _

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"Martha, can I ask you something kind of awkward?"

"Of course, Darling. As long as it's not my age."

Kate laughed. "No. Yesterday, Rick said something about…it doesn't matter. Never mind."

"Come here, dear," Martha said, and put her arm around the detective. "What do you need?"

Kate chuckled again, but stared at her feet. "This is going to sound weird. I was going to ask for a hug, but you're already kind of hugging me."

"Oh, Kate! This is not a hug. Here." She turned and wrapped her arms around the younger woman, squeezing firmly. Martha could feel the tension drain from Kate and stroked the detective's hair.

Kate was afraid she would start crying, so she pulled away. "Thanks, Martha. Oh, can you do me one more favor?"

"What's that?"

"Tell your son not to propose."

"What?"

"I'm just getting used to this love thing. I'm not ready to even think about the marriage thing, yet. He hasn't brought it up, has he?"

"Not exactly, but…"

"I just don't want him to propose before we get the chance to talk. If I turn down an actual proposal, it would be… not good. So far, he's offered everything to me, and every time, he's had to settle for less. This time, I want to make an offer. One we can build from."

"I'm so proud of you, Kiddo!"

"Kiddo? I thought that was just what you called Castle."

"It is," she replied. "I guess you're starting to feel like my own."

Kate tried her old stand-bys. She took a deep breath. She bit her tongue. Picturing Castle falling down just made her sadder. She began to cry. "Damn it!"

"Darling, never be ashamed to cry. Tears are powerful! When the audience cries, it's the best compliment an actress can get. You know what my job is? It's to give people permission to feel! People shut down, and for some reason, it's easier for them to feel for the imaginary people we become on the stage than to feel in their own lives. But it doesn't have to be that way. Feel the tears. Let them do their work."

Kate would have scoffed at such a touchy-feely idea, but Martha's voice and body relayed safety and comfort. The detective was an expert at interpreting tone and body language. "I bet you're an amazing actress."

"I am," Martha replied, confidently, "But I'm not acting now."

The tears were still flowing, but Kate wasn't angry—not even when she began to sob loudly like a little girl. Martha pulled Kate back into her arms.

"Impressive, dear. Truly." She continued to stroke Kate's hair.

Rick emerged from his office, following the sound of Kate's cries.

"Not again! What did you do? You hugged her? You're _hugging_ her. I told you: no hugging Kate unsolicited!"

"I asked her to hug me," Kate said with a sniffle, her tears under control.

"Oh. Okay, then. Sorry, Mother. Kate, maybe we should work on some hug therapy. You know, build up your hugging tolerance?"

Kate laughed, and her throat and sinuses hurt from all the crying, but she felt relieved, too.

"Actually," Kate replied, "I think I've got it out of my system, now. I'll prove it." She opened her arms to Rick. He inched forward, cautiously, and wrapped his arms around her. He tentatively squeezed. Kate squeezed back. He then twirled her around, and she laughed.

"Woah, did you just giggle?"

"Yeah. Let's take it down a notch," she replied, eyes wide. "Too much, too soon. Oh, I think Martha wanted to talk to you."

"Actually, Kate, I think _you_ have an offer to make," Martha mused as she departed for her room. "Goodnight, you two."

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**Leave a comment, please. ****To all my repeat commenters, thanks! It's awesome to get a play-by-play of audience reaction. To my sweet, silent readers, break the silence. Leave a few words, pretty please?  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN-**** Hello, lovely people. Let's find out what Kate's offering, shall we?**

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"An offer? Is it a _sexy_ offer? Wait, no. That would mean you were discussing our sex life with my mom. Never mind."

"No, a relationship offer," Kate said.

Rick raised an eyebrow as they sat on the couch. "Really? I'm intrigued."

"I think we should drop the four month rule."

His face lit up like that of a five-year-old with a puppy. "Really? It's only been a month. Are you sure?"

"With our friends and people at work, yes," Kate replied. "With the press, I don't think I'll ever be ready."

"We won't be able to fool them forever, but I'll talk to Paula. We'll work out a strategy to buy some time."

"I'm not done, though."

"I knew this was too good to be true. What's the catch?"

"My lease runs out in a few months, so think about it, and if, at the end of that time, you want to, we can…"

"I want to."

"Sheesh! Slow down, Castle! See, this is why I tried to get Martha to talk to you first. I've only had one major relationship before. I don't want to rush into anything. When I set the four-month rule, it was because I wanted to see how we'd do together, but not much has changed at work, and this whole dating thing is going well. If things are still going well after we tell people, maybe I'll move in. If living together works out, maybe…_maybe_ we can talk about…doing more. But give me six months, at least."

"Six months from day one, six months from today, or six months from moving in together?"

She wanted to say, "_Moving in," _but her whole point had been that, this time, she didn't want either of them to have to compromise. "You know what, mystery writer? You'll figure it out." And then she kissed him.

"So," Rick said, "How are we going to tell people? I could still run the Times ad with my awesome limerick."

Kate rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you need to tell Lanie first," Castle mused.

"Why?"

"First of all, she's one of your best friends. Second of all, she's on to us. Has been for a while."

"What did you tell her?"

"I didn't tell her anything! That day when Paula figured it out, I was walking up from the car when Lanie cornered me. She basically threatened to kill me if I didn't talk. I played dumb, but if she finds out from someone other than you…well, you know Lanie could make it look like an accident."

"Fine. I'm going to call her, right now, before I lose me nerve." She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed, getting Lanie's voicemail. _Oh, thank God! _"Lanie, hey! How are you? Sorry I haven't been able to hang out much lately. Actually, that's why I'm calling. I haven't had time because I've been dating Castle. For a month. We're in love. We're coming clean to everyone tomorrow. Okay, bye. See you then. Um, love you!"

"I think that was simultaneously the most awkward and most adorable thing I've ever witnessed."

Then, she opened her mouth, but Rick beat her to the punch: "Shut up, Castle."

Kate laughed. "Okay, Lanie's taken care of. What about everyone else? How should we tell them?

"Which way would be best for the team?" he asked, remembering how Kate had put Alexis' needs first.

"The team will be fine. Which way will cause the least damage to my career and reputation?"

"Hmm…the way I see it, we have three options."

"Confess, lie, or act like it's normal and hope no one asks questions?" Kate asked.

"Exactly. You're a quick study."

"Alexis would probably hug all the guys in the precinct, twirling and proclaiming that she's in love."

"Mother would perform a ballad—possibly with choreography," Rick replied.

"I don't think either one of those would help us in this situation."

"We'll figure it out." Rick kissed Kate's cheek. "I'm going to go call Paula. Maybe she'll have a brilliant idea for us." As Rick departed for his office, Kate sensed presence on the stairs. She looked up at the two redheads observing from above.

"How much of that did you two catch?"

"Not enough, unfortunately," Martha replied as they descended. "How did it go?"

"Well. We've decided we're going to tell people at work we're dating."

"That's great!" Alexis squealed.

"Brava, Darling," Martha added.

"We're just not sure how to do it without causing chaos."

"Let me think about that one," Martha replied.

"Me, too." Alexis added. "I'm sure we'll come up with something."

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**AN- All comments and/or encouragement are welcome. Keep reading and writing, fellow word-lovers!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Enjoy!**

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"You know, perhaps I missed my calling. Maybe I should have been a director," Martha mused. "And you, darling," she crooned at her granddaughter, "make an excellent playwright!"

Alexis dipped in a deep, Elizabethan curtsy that her grandmother had taught her when she was seven. "Why thank you, Gran."

"Is all this really necessary," Kate asked. They'd been rehearsing for half an hour.

"No," Alexis replied. "You could just walk in and say, 'I have an announcement.'"

"Or you could let people catch on gradually, and spread the gossip," Martha posited. "But I thought you didn't want to do either of those things."

Kate sighed. "Oh, I don't."

"You'll do fine," Rick bolstered. "You love undercover work."

"Ew, Dad. That wasn't an innuendo, was it?"

"Actually, no! Where did you get such a filthy mind?"

"Gee, I wonder," Alexis said with an eye-roll.

"Beckett, you're a bad influence. You've got my dear, sweet daughter rolling her eyes at me."

Kate rolled her eyes at him, too.

The next day proceeded exactly as planned. Castle and Beckett arrived at work separately. They sat at her desk, and Rick played with his Petroshka dolls and pestered Kate with questions while she tried to do paperwork. They were called out on a case, and they argued as usual, ending with Kate handcuffing Rick to the steering wheel to keep him in the squad car. After the suspect was in custody, Beckett and Castle explored the crime scene. Once they got back to the precinct, they interrogated the suspect together. They did their usual finishing-each-other's-sentences routine as they sorted through the facts on the whiteboard. The crime wasn't completely solved, but they were building a decent case. Anyone looking back on the day would see they were professionals, doing their duty as well as ever. Part one of their plan was a success.

On to part two: in the bullpen, Rick put on his coat, then helped Kate into hers. "Ready for our date?"

She smiled at him while gathering up her stuff. "Of course," she said. "Let's get out of here. Night, guys." Kate could see jaws dropping around her, but the plan would only work if she acted like this was completely normal and open. Anything else would result in mockery or gossip. She kept her cool, and part two went off without a hitch.

Now, it was time for part three. Castle had insisted it was necessary. Kate had objected, but Martha had actually agreed with her son. If everyone saw them kiss without embarrassment, mother and son reasoned, the couple would be harder to tease. Just as they got to the elevator, Castle grabbed Kate and gave her a deep kiss.

Alexis, the peace-keeper, had devised part four to set Kate at ease: Kate smiled, but pushed him back a bit to reestablished boundaries. "We're at work, Castle. Knock it off."

"Sorry, Beckett. It won't happen again."

The elevator doors opened, and they continued their conversation as they stepped inside. Every officer in the room was doing his or her best to watch without being obvious. The couple touched each other casually and laughed about something. Once the doors closed, a roar of conversation swept through the room.

"Okay," Ryan yelled, "Who had today in the poll?"

"Hey," Esposito replied, "We _found out_ today. We don't know that it actually _started_ today. And was the bet for first time sleeping together or first date?"

Ryan dug through the papers on his desk, looking for the sheet with the exact records for the betting pool as his coworkers gathered around. If they could settle this, someone was going home with a nice chunk of change.

* * *

"Kate, where are you?" Lanie asked on the other end of the phone line.

"I'm at Castle's. Why?"

"Give me the address," she demanded, and Kate complied.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Soon, the small, gorgeous black woman was in Castle's apartment.

"Lanie…"

"Katherine Beckett, I can't believe you didn't tell me. I had to find out from Ryan. RYAN!"

"Lanie, check your messages."

"What?"

"Your messages from last night. Check them."

Lanie pushed some buttons and listened intently when Kate's message began. "Sorry? You should be sorry. A month?" Then Lanie's jaw dropped when she heard the "in love" part. But her brow furrowed again until she heard the last two words of the message: "love you!"

"You know, it's a good thing you finally confessed your love for me, Kate, or you'd be in big trouble right now." Lanie said.

"I've never said it to you before? Huh. Sorry about that."

"Better late than never," she said as Rick walked into the room. "Speaking of which, you two? When, exactly, did all this happen?"

Rick rattled off the date, and Lanie smiled.

"Now was that your first date, or _first time?_"

"Shut up, Lanie!"

"It's comforting to know I'm not the only one she says that to," Rick said. "And it was both." Kate looked furious. "What? She's your best friend!"

Lanie was tapping out a text with a broad smile.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked.

"Winning a pair of Louboutins and some La Perla lingerie!"

"NO!" Kate exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Rick asked.

"A bet," Kate replied with horror. "The precinct must have had a betting pool on when you and I would get together."

"And I won!" Lanie bragged, "So I guess you're forgiven for not telling me about this for a month."

"And I guess you're forgiven for telling everyone at work just how long Castle and I have been sleeping together."

"Seriously?" Castle asked. "You're letting that one go?"

Kate shrugged. She had decided a room full of detectives who knew a little too much about her sex life was preferable to a room full of detectives scrutinizing her love life. Detectives can never resist a mystery.

"Most of them thought you were already having sex last year, after they read that love scene in the first Nikki Heat book," Lanie said.

"I TOLD you," Kate exclaimed, whapping his arm. "'Oh, Beckett, don't be silly! No one will think it's us. They know it's fiction,'" she said, imitating his lower voice and smacking him a second time.

"Ow! Can I help it if people underestimate my imagination?"

Just then, Alexis breezed in the front door. "Hey, Dad! Kate!" She hugged them both. "How did it go? Oh, sorry," she said, spotting their guest. "Hi, Dr. Parish."

"Sweetie, call me Lanie."

"Okay, Lanie." The girl beamed a smile at her.

"Damn, girl. You should be in a toothpaste commercial with that smile. If you're asking about their startling confession, it went fine, and it won me $1500."

"We should really get a cut of that," Castle said.

"Dream on, Castle!" Lanie replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go collect my winnings."

Kate hugged Lanie before her friend left. Lanie managed not to look surprised. Kate managed not to cry. She was getting the hang of this.

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**Comment, please!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Welcome back! I just realized I never made one of those disclaimers. Fine: I own nothing Castle-related. I make no Castle-related profits. However, if ABC would like to hire me to join the Castle writing staff, I'd say yes in a heartbeat.  
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"Rick," Kate asked, "The other day, when you called Paula, what did she suggest as the next step?"

"You're not going to like it," he said.

"How do you know?"

"Because I've met you?"

"Just tell me what she said!"

* * *

"ELOPE?"

"If you're serious about this woman," Paula replied.

"Aren't you the one who said you were going to have me committed if I ever got married again? What, is this a publicity thing? You just want me to marry Nikki Heat?"

"That _would_ make an amazing story. We would sell tons of books and get a fortune for your next contract, but that's not why I'm suggesting it. If you stay with Kate and your relationship builds over time, so will public interest and attention. People will start to speculate about whether you two are doing this for publicity or money. The paparazzi will follow you everywhere.

"If you elope secretly, then let the press eventually discover it on their own, no one can accuse you of fame-whoring. And, by the time the story breaks, the most exciting part will already have happened. The paps will have less reason to track you."

"That's actually kind of brilliant," Rick replied.

"Right?" Paula bragged, raising an arched brow toward her black hair, slicked back in a tight, high ponytail.

"But I can't do something this important just to throw off the press."

"This isn't about the press. It's about getting them out of the way for Kate."

* * *

"Okay, I'll tell you, but—just so you know—this is not a proposal."

"Okay…"

"She thinks we should secretly elope."

"WHAT?"

Rick outlined Paula's argument.

"Okay, family meeting!" Kate declared.

"What?" Rick replied.

"We need to discuss this: you, me, Alexis, and your mom. ALEXIS," she called out, "MARTHA!"

"What about your dad?"

"We'll call him if we decide to go through with this."

"Are you saying you're actually considering Paula's plan?"

"I'm not _not_ considering it."

Martha and Alexis tromped down the stairs. "What's the matter, Kiddo?" Rick's mother asked.

"We need to talk," Kate said.

"Oh, no," Alexis replied. "You're not breaking up, are you? Nothing good ever comes after that sentence!"

"See?" Rick exclaimed.

"What is with you two and that sentence?"

"Don't you watch movies or television?" Rick asked.

"Apparently not enough for this conversation."

"As fascinating as this is," Martha interrupted, "I assume it is not why you called us down here."

"No, it isn't. Thank you, Martha. You know what, Castle? This will go more smoothly with drinks."

"Bless you, dear," Martha said as they all sat at their table.

"Here, this should take the edge off," Rick told Alexis, handing her Sprite in a martini glass. She laughed at her Dad's lame attempt at humor as the adults sipped actual martinis. At least he'd left the olive out of Alexis' soda. Last time she hadn't been so lucky.

Kate and Rick explained their predicament: basically, if the press took too strong an interest in their relationship, it would seriously damage Kate's career. People on the force wouldn't take her seriously, nor would suspects. She'd be too recognizable for undercover work. If the paparazzi began following her, it would endanger the photographers and compromise crime scenes. The NYPD would make her work a desk job. Between that and the paparazzi, it would drive Kate nuts.

"So," Kate said, "Do you two have any ideas about how we can avoid all that?"

"Oh, dear," Martha replied. "I'm afraid not. From the reaction of the press at Rick's last book launch, they love you. They would latch on to this story in a heartbeat."

"Alexis," Rick asked, "any ideas from my genius daughter?"

"I have strategies for avoiding the attention of high school mean girls, but I doubt they'd be effective with the paparazzi."

"Then I guess we should discuss Paula's suggestion," Kate said.

"Ugh, Paula?" Alexis asked. She didn't like the way Paula looked at her dad.

"What did Paula suggest?" Martha asked.

"She thinks we should elope," Kate said simply.

_Okay, I was so wrong about her,_ Alexis thought. _I love Paula!_

Alexis and Martha erupted with questions and squeals. Rick explained Paula's reasoning, then his mother and his daughter burst into squeals again.

"Woah!" Rick exclaimed. "This is not a done deal. Kate's just... 'not _not _considering it.'"

"Not _not_ considering it?" Alexis asked, hopefully.

"I thought you weren't ready to even think about marriage," Martha brought up, a searching look on her face.

"I know. But when Rick told me about Paula's suggestions…well, I expected to feel freaked out, but the feeling never came."

"Aw!" Alexis cooed.

"Aw?" Castle asked, genuinely puzzled by his daughter's mushy reply to Kate's lackluster response. "Lack of dread is hardly a ringing endorsement for marriage."

"It's not just lack of dread, Dad. She had the sinking feeling, but you took it away. She's Millie, and you're Adam!"

Kate and Rick both looked puzzled.

"_Seven Brides for Seven Brothers_," Martha explained, "It's a musical with Jane Powell and Howard Keel. Oh, that man's voice! Magnificent."

Rick rolled his eyes. He was all for a good musical, by not one that included lyrics about sleeping with sheep. Martha had introduced her granddaughter to the film when she was five or six, and Alexis had subsequently gone through a phase when she'd watched the movie every day. Rick had almost managed to block out the memory.

"All these guys ask Millie to marry them," Alexis said, "and she always gets a sinking feeling, so she turns them down. But one day, a perfect stranger asks her, and…"

"Lack of dread?" Kate guessed.

"Exactly," Alexis replied.

"Maybe I should watch this movie," Kate said.

"There's a hoedown," Castle warned.

Beckett winced. "Okay, maybe not."

"It's not a hoedown," Alexis defended. "It's a barn-raising!"

"Yes, and a barn-raising is so much more to Kate's taste than a hoedown," Rick sarcastically replied. "Besides, I'm pretty sure if it involves a barn and dancing, it's a hoedown."

"So, I guess I'm…considering this plan," Kate said, bringing them back on-topic.

"Considering?" Rick asked with a grin. "Well, that's better than not _not _considering."

"I should say so!" Martha exclaimed. "To considering!" she toasted, and they all clinked glasses.

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**I appreciate comments. Thanks!**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN- Please read, enjoy, squee, etc.  
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"Kate, there's something I need to tell you."

They were in Rick's bed, spooning in the dark. "What's that, Castle?"

"I've been through two divorces," he said. "I don't plan to have another. I promised myself that if I ever got married again, I'd be sure—absolutely sure, Kate. I don't want marriage to be a joke to Alexis, so 'lack of dread' isn't enough for me. If I ask you to marry me, don't say yes unless your heart tells you to, and the idea of spending the rest of your life with me makes you happy. Don't say yes unless you're willing to fight for this, because it won't be easy."

"I know it," Kate said.

The truth was, Kate wasn't going to jump into marriage lightly. A few months ago, Kate had been sure she would never marry. Finding someone to love her forever, who she could love forever in return, just seemed unrealistic. Besides, even if she did find that person, all marriages ended. Half ended in divorce, and the other half ended in death…and death was considered the better of the two. Well, she had seen how it destroyed her dad when her mom was killed, and the thought of ever being in that much pain had rattled Kate. Maybe it was different if a spouse died naturally when the couple was old and gray, but could it ever be less than devastating?

A part of her, though, had been thinking for a while that _staying alone_ to avoid losing love and _ending up alone_ was lunacy. Maybe a life with pain in it was better than an empty life. Maybe there would be years of joy before the inevitable end. Besides, Kate Beckett was a fighter. _Why should I run my love life differently from the rest of my life? _Kate wanted to start fighting for the things that mattered most. Her job was important, but the people she loved were, too.

"This would be hard enough if you weren't famous," Kate said with a sigh.

"And if you didn't have a job that required chasing down murderers and psychopaths—_murderous_ psychopaths."

"Yeah, but don't forget: that's how I found you," she teased.

"And being famous is how I managed to stick around long enough for you to realize you liked me. I guess we're just stuck with a life of fame, fortune, and adventure."

"We all have our crosses to bear," she deadpanned, and he chuckled, snuggling closer before settling in to sleep.

* * *

It was their first day back to work, post-announcement. Frankly, Kate wanted to ream her guys for setting up a betting pool, but ripping them new assholes wouldn't go with the "act casual" plan she and Castle had put in motion.

As such, Kate had arrived early at the station house, and was immersed in a case file when Ryan and Esposito arrived.

"Hey, Beckett," Ryan exclaimed, his voice suggestive, "Have a good night?"

She replied in a distracted tone, "Yeah, sure. You?"

"Good," he replied, disappointed that she hadn't risen to the bait.

A few minutes later, Castle entered the room carrying two coffees. He handed one to Kate, saying, "Here, K.B.," but kept walking, straight to the white board.

"Thanks, Castle," she said, not looking up from the file she was scrutinizing.

This time Esposito took a swing at it: "So, did you lovebirds have a nice date?"

"Uh-huh," Castle mumbled in the same distracted tone as Beckett. "Something feels off about this suspect. I know he confessed, but…"

"No, I was thinking the same thing," Kate replied. "Do you think he's protecting someone? Or someone could have paid him to take the fall."

"He might be scared…" Castle ventured.

"Of someone more powerful."

"Someone with a lot to lose, like…"

They answered together, "Vega!" They set down their coffees and snatched their coats, running out the door.

"Same old Beckett and Castle," Esposito said.

"Are you sure they've only been doing it a month? 'Cause they've been like this forever. Maybe Lanie lied to collect the money. It's not like we ever got an official confirmation."

"What, do _you _want to ask them?" Esposito asked, eyebrow raised. Both men considered themselves lucky that Beckett didn't know about the bet. Obviously, Lanie hadn't told Beckett, or both their asses would be in slings by now.

Beckett ran back in. "Are you guys coming, or what?" Startled, they jumped up and ran after their boss.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Beckett was completing paperwork on the charges against Vega. Castle had gone home to do some writing. He was supposed to deliver the draft of _Dead Heat _ (in which Nikki Heat investigated a string murders tied to a local racetrack) to his editor by the end of the week, and he wanted to make some revisions.

Kate's phone beeped, and she checked her text messages. "Still considering? –RC"

She smiled, thought for a few minutes, then nervously dialed his number. She got his voice mail. _Oh, thank God. "_Um, Rick? Hi. It's Kate. So…I'm done considering. See you at dinner. Okay, love you. Bye."

Across town, Rick ran for his ringing cell phone and opened it a second too late. A moment later, he listened to her voice message and chuckled. She'd done it once again: left an awkward-yet-adorable voicemail. He couldn't wait for her to come home that night.

* * *

"I'm home!" Kate exclaimed once she reached the apartment.

The lights were low, and the table was set lavishly. _Alexis,_ Kate thought, just before the girl appeared.

"You're here!" Alexis exclaimed, throwing her arms around Kate.

"Darling, try not to bruise our dear detective," Martha admonished as she glided into the room, cocktails in hand. She passed one to Beckett.

"Kate, how did everything go at work?" Rick asked, emerging from his office, a pencil and a large stack of paper in his hands.

"Fine. Boring. You know…paperwork. You?"

"Actually, per our agreement, I need you to look over the draft and let me know if there's anything you want me to change before I turn it over to my editor."

"You know what? I trust you, Castle. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Actually, Kate?" Alexis piped up with a mildly worried expression, "You really should look it over." Kate sat on the couch and took a long sip from her drink before setting it down.

_Ah,_ Kate thought, _I thought this was a celebratory you're-done-considering dinner. It's actually a please-don't-kill-my-dad dinner." _Kate sighed. "What did you do, Rick?"

Martha sighed, too. "You better show her, Kiddo."

With a serious expression, Castle handed the pencil and stack of paper to Kate, and she began to peruse the pages. Then she reached the dedication: "To KB— Marry me? –RC"

"Hmm…" she said with a frown.

"Kate…" Rick began.

"Rick, you can't publish it like this."

"No, you're right, it was stupid. I should have…" Kate was writing something on the page. "Look, Kate, I'll write you a new dedication, but you can't just write your own."

"Oh, yeah? Just watch me, Castle." Kate replied, handing back the draft.

Underneath his words, she had written, "To RC—Yes. –Love, KB"

"She said yes!" he crowed. "Well, technically, wrote yes, but…" He pulled her into his arms, knocking the pages to the floor.

"I knew it!" Alexis exclaimed. "I knew that was what she was writing."

"Well-played, nonetheless," Martha replied. "Congratulations, you two!"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Castle patted his pockets, found the right one, and withdrew the small, square box. Then he got down on one knee, surrounded by the scattered pages of _Dead Heat_. He didn't care; he could clean it up later. "Let's make it official."

"Get up, Castle!" Kate insisted, embarrassed, and tugged him back to his feet.

"Okay, so much for that gesture." He stood in front of Kate and opened the box. The ring had design elements similar to her mother's ring, which Kate reached up to touch where it dangled from her necklace. Rick nervously cleared his throat: "Detective Katherine Beckett, will you marry me?"

"Yes, I'll marry you," she said as he slid the ring onto her finger. Alexis and Martha had their arms around each other, and cooed their approval. "How did you…"

"I took a picture of your mother's ring to the jeweler, and they helped me design this to go with it." Her eyes were welling up. "But if you don't like it…if it's too painful, or if you want to pick a ring out yourself, I completely understand. We could just…"

"It's amazing," she said. "I love it."

"It's a fair trade diamond," Alexis added. "I reminded Dad that you wouldn't want a blood diamond, or one that had been cut or polished by little kids."

Kate raised an eyebrow, as such a thing never would have occurred to her, but said, "Thank you, Alexis. You have such a good heart."

"I can't believe you're going to be my stepmother!" she exclaimed.

"I don't like the sound of that," she said, but quickly saw the crushed look on Alexis's face. "Oh, no, sweetie, that's not what I meant." She wrapped her arms around the girl. "I am so honored to be your step-mom. I just hate the _word_ 'stepmother.' It sounds like I'm a fairytale villain, or something."

"God, Kate, you scared me!" Alexis replied with a relieved laugh.

_I must have,_ Kate thought, _because that's the strongest language I've ever heard her use. I can't believe I'm going to be a mom. I thought I'd never have kids, and now I have Alexis! _

"I'll be more careful," Kate promised, and they ended their embrace.

"Feed the birds!" Alexis exclaimed to her father, cupping her hand in the air. Rick happily formed his hand into a beak and "pecked" the imaginary birdseed from his daughter's palm as Martha hugged Kate tightly.

"Congratulations, dear." Then Martha turned and hugged her son. "Congratulations, Kiddo." Then her voice dropped to a whisper. "You've found your one, Richard. Some people never do." She looked him square in the eye.

"I know," he whispered back. "And I'm going to do whatever I can to deserve her."

Martha nodded, satisfied, and gave her son a loud kiss on the cheek. Then Castle hugged his daughter enthusiastically. "Thanks for all your help, Alexis. I couldn't have done it without you."

"I know," she replied. "Now, let's eat before the food gets cold. I didn't spend all afternoon slaving away in the kitchen to serve soggy Beef Wellington."

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**AN- So, did you squee? I hope you enjoyed. Comments are always appreciated.  
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	21. Chapter 21

**Oh, we're winding it down people!  
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"Come on," Rick said, grabbing Kate's hand, and they dashed down the street, their footsteps echoing on the pavement. About a dozen men followed, clamoring behind them. The couple continued running until Kate realized the situation.

Kate pulled Rick to a stop. "This is not happening," she said.

Katherine Beckett was a cop in the NYPD, and there was no way she was going to let the freaking paparazzi chase her down the streets of _her_ city!

* * *

So far, Beckett and Castle had managed to stay off the media radar. They avoided hot spots. They kept their hands (and mouths) to themselves whenever they were in public.

It had been a tough day, working a case where the victim was a little girl. Kate found her job hardest when working cases involving kids. Castle broke one of their unofficial rules and called to arrange a table at a friend's fancy restaurant. He suspected Kate could use some pampering. The dinner was perfect, and by the end, Kate looked more determined and less defeated.

They walked out arm-in-arm, and a block from the restaurant, Kate forgot who her boyfriend was, what the rules were, and why they had them. Grateful that Castle had made her heartbreaking day a little better, she kissed him. A camera flashed, then a dozen. It felt like a hundred.

* * *

"How did they even know where to find us?" Kate asked.

"They didn't," Rick replied. "They weren't there for us. You didn't notice that kid from Twilight a few tables over?"

"Oh, the little brunette? I knew she looked familiar." Kate said.

"Tabloids love to follow those Twilight kids around, and I don't think that guy she's with is her boyfriend. Catching us making out was just a bonus."

"Yeah, well, I'm not going to run away." In fact, Kate turned and walked toward the flashing cameras. As she strode over, Rick followed, laughing at the nervous looks on the faces of some of the paps. Others were fearlessly moving closer to Detective Beckett, angling for the best shot. They screamed at her, "Kate," and, "Nikki," throwing out a slew of questions about her relationship with Castle, about landing one of Manhattan's most eligible bachelors, and even whether they acted out Heat and Rook's sex scenes.

"OKAY, step back to a minimum of 5 feet," her voice boomed in cop-mode: loud and authoritative, but calm and confident. Most stepped back automatically, but a few ignored her request. Kate put her hands on her hips, subtly exposing the holstered gun under her jacket.

"You wore a gun on our _date?_" Rick whispered. Kate rolled her eyes, because they'd gone straight to the restaurant after work. Cameras flashed more wildly at the visible weapon, but the men moved away.

"Are you ready? Because I'm only going to say this once: My name is Detective Kate Beckett. My name is _not_ 'Nikki Heat.' Also, Richard Castle and I are _not_ dating." She could see the skepticism on their faces. "We're engaged," she clarified. "We were going to elope to avoid all of this…" she gestured at them, "but now you know about us, so it's a moot point."

The paparazzi roared questions at Kate and Rick. Rick's jaw had dropped at Kate's announcement; he had been surprised that she'd revealed their plans to elope, but pleased that she wanted to stay engaged even though the need to elope had ceased. Rick watched her with admiration.

"Hey!" Kate shouted, regaining their attention, "If you want information, shut up and listen. Here are the rules: One— You play nice and we'll play nice. We will schedule interviews and photo shoots. I'll give you good quotes." Eyebrows rose at this. Castle was a media darling, but his muse was known for being truculent with the press. "Stalk us and you'll never get a word out of us. Two— I am a cop. Interfere with my job and you are guilty of obstruction of justice, so stay the hell away from my crime scenes. A good relationship with New York's Finest might actually _help_ you, professionally. Keep that in mind. Rule three- Leave our kid alone. She is off limits, unless she is appearing at an official event or she chooses to take part in an interview. Are we clear?" she waited. "Good. Any questions?"

Rick laughed as the tabloid photographers, known for being ruthless, behaved like reputable reporters at a press conference. They called out her name with hands waving in the air. She called on one. "Yes, you in the blue."

"When's the wedding?"

"It was going to be Saturday at our apartment, but we'll probably reschedule?" she looked at Rick for confirmation.

"We'll check our calendars and let you know, guys," Rick replied.

"Yes," Kate added, "But you're not invited."

Some of the paps chuckled. Detective Beckett was winning them over. She was different from the playboys and celebutants they spent their time chasing. More than one of them felt torn; they wanted to comply with her terms, but their editors wanted candid photos snatched of surprised or enraged celebs. Detective Beckett was treating them like legitimate members of the press, though, which most of them had dreamt of being when their careers began.

"How long have you been together?" someone called out.

"We have been colleagues for nearly two years, but have only been a couple for a few months. Now, you in the gray!"

"Why the rush to get married? Are you pregnant?"

Castle was about to snap at the presumptuous man, but Kate just laughed.

"Oh, God, no!"

"So you don't want kids?" another man asked.

Castle couldn't believe Kate was discussing this with reporters. Hell, _he_ hadn't even thought to ask her about having kids, yet.

"I love the kid we already have. However, having a baby is a serious choice that deserves time and consideration—especially for someone in my line of work. Yes, you in the black."

"Do you plan to leave the NYPD?"

"Not if I can help it. I live my life solving murders to help victims' families and to make our city safer. I don't want to give that up," she replied, "but to be honest, it depends on you guys."

The men were caught off guard by her stark admission, though they didn't reveal it on the outside.

"If the press becomes too intrusive, it could hurt my team and hinder investigations. That's why I hope you'll respect our request for space. I never wanted to be famous. I only agreed to this whole Nikki Heat thing to help the reputation of the NYPD. I agreed to marry Castle because I love him, and we're becoming a family. I didn't seek the spotlight, but I'm in it, like it or not. I hope you'll let me do my job. Any more questions?"

"Castle, is this a publicity stunt?"

"One for me? How refreshing," he replied in Writer-Boy-charm mode. "No, this is not a publicity stunt. I don't blame you for asking, though, because if I were on the other side, I'd be wondering the same thing. The truth is, I wrote the books to get closer to Detective Beckett—the exact opposite of getting with Beckett for the success of the books. My interest in her began before I wrote the first word of Heat Wave_._"

Kate looked at him in surprise, wondering whether Rick shadowing her had been one big seduction scheme, or whether his motivations had been subconscious in the beginning.

"What's it like to be engaged to Nikki Heat?"

"Detective Katherine Beckett is not Nikki Heat. She's better…though a little less slutty."

At that, she gave her patented eye-roll. "I'm a lot less slutty," Kate amended, "and I still think 'Nikki Heat' is a stripper name. He wouldn't change it," she commented to the press.

The men laughed. Beckett had apparently been telling the truth about giving them snappy quotes.

"I stand by that decision," Rick replied. "You may not be as slutty as Nikki Heat, but you're just as hot. And to answer the original question, being engaged to Detective Beckett is better than I could have ever dreamed…or written." Kate rolled her eyes again at his cheesy statements, which the press would undoubtedly eat up.

"Okay, this Q&A is officially over," Kate announced. "Goodnight, gentlemen."

She walked away, arm-in-arm with Castle. Both were shocked and relieved to realize they were not being followed.

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**I think tomorrow (Valentine's day) I'll posts the final chapter of "What You Need." Wish me luck at drawing the story to a close!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Here it is, lovely readers: The End!  
**

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The next day, New York's papers and a few national publications were splashed with stories of Castle and Beckett's romance. The headlines and angles of the stories ranged from "Castle Cancels Weekend Wedding" to "Castle to Marry Muse," "Castle's Honey Packs Heat" (with a close-up of Beckett's holstered service weapon) and "Castle Hot for _Heat_ Cop." Some articles focused on the secretive relationship, and others on Rick's admission that he'd invented Nikki Heat to get the girl. Kate was relieved to find that most of the articles included her pleas for the press to keep away so she could do her job. So far, it seemed to be working.

They'd had to take some ribbing at work; there was no way to casually ignore that much press, especially with steamy photos of them kissing on the street. Paula had received "about a million" phone calls requesting interviews and photo shoots, and Rick and Kate were doing their best to schedule them. Donna from _The Ledger _called to gloat that she'd known it all along: "Rick Castle, you owe me an interview _and_ an apology for disparaging the blurb I wrote about you for the most-eligible-bachelors list! 'Oh, we're not a couple,'" she imitated him, "'I won't be off the market.' HA!"

When Beckett and Castle had stepped outside his apartment that first day, there were no photographers waiting. There were none at the stationhouse before or after work. The whole family even ventured out for dinner that night. They were left alone, and all of them felt relieved.

Over the next month, everyone adjusted to their new life together. Beckett and Castle had received enough media attention that Kate had to give up undercover work, but thus far, her increased fame hadn't affected her ability to solve murders. The press mostly complied with Kate's requests, as she kept up her end of the bargain, though a few of pictures published had been taken of the unknowing couple on the streets of New York. Kate hated the invasion of privacy, but at least the reporters and photographers were keeping their distance. Besides, she had bigger problems to worry about.

"Castle, remind me: why didn't we elope that weekend?"

The couple had just finished buying Kate's wedding gown. The women in the dress shop had raised their eyebrows at the groom helping her pick it out, but Kate didn't care about tradition, and she sure as hell didn't care what the saleswomen thought. All she knew was that Rick had picked out that red dress— the most perfect dress she had ever owned, the one that made her feel beautiful and glamorous— so she wanted him to help pick out her wedding dress, too.

Rick laughed as he escorted her out of the store, a hand at the small of her back. "As I recall, you said you wanted me to know you were marrying me because you love me, not just to avoid the paparazzi."

"Oh, yeah."

"Why? What is my mother trying to get you to do this time?"

"She thinks I should have _six_ bridesmaids. I tried to explain that making a woman be a bridesmaid is actually kind of mean, but she wouldn't listen."

"You could ask all of those friends who made you be _their_ bridesmaids. You could pick out vicious revenge dresses. Traffic-cone orange. No, chartreuse!"

"No way. It's going to be Alexis, Martha and Lanie. That's all, and they can pick out their own dresses."

"Okay, then I'll just ask your dad, Ryan and Esposito."

"Seriously? Didn't you have friends before you started following me around, Castle?"

"I had poker-playing-writer friends and go-out-clubbing friends, but Esposito and Ryan are get-shot-at-together friends."

"That does create a special bond."

"We should know. Less than a year ago, you wouldn't even talk to me. Now we're getting married. Can you believe it?"

"No," Kate replied, honestly.

Sometimes she had nightmares that her life with Castle and his family was just a dream, and that she had awakened alone in her old life. Other nights, she dreamt that they were working a case, and Castle was shot and killed. In those dreams, she felt gutted by sorrow.

But then Kate would wake up in Rick's arms, light streaming through the window. Kate and Rick would go into the kitchen to make breakfast, and two vivacious redheads would join them. Then, her new family would do the craziest things. They would have silent-movie-style fencing matches, or laser tag battles with sci-fi storylines. They would spontaneously dance or burst into song. They would hug her, kiss her and love her. They would even give her space when she needed it. All she ever had to do was ask.

The guys of the 12th precinct tried to tease Kate that love was making her soft, but Detective Kate Beckett knew better. Being open to heartbreak required bravery. It had taken a lifetime for her to be ready for this: love, family, and even the long, white dress. Kate finally believed what Rick had told her their first night together: sometimes the strongest thing you can do is to ask for what you need.

"Take me home, Castle?" Kate asked.

Rick kissed her, and hailed a cab back to their apartment.

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**I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it for you. Thanks for reading!**


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